Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been sent back to Sweden after Israeli forces intercepted a vessel attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The 22-year-old environmentalist was among several activists aboard what Israeli officials mockingly called a "selfie yacht."
According to the New York Post, Israel's Foreign Ministry released a photo showing Thunberg buckled into an airplane seat as she was deported Tuesday, just a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was traveling on was seized by the Israeli military.
The Swedish activist had been part of a 12-person crew aboard the Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition when Israeli naval forces intercepted the vessel approximately 125 miles off Gaza's coast. The boat was then escorted to the Israeli port of Ashdod on Monday evening, according to official statements.
Critics were quick to point out the irony of the climate activist, who has long campaigned against air travel's environmental impact, being forced to return home via airplane. Social media users seized on this apparent contradiction.
"She looks happy for polluting the climate," one user commented on the Foreign Ministry's post showing Thunberg on the plane. Another remarked, "Polluting the climate all the way back home," highlighting what many perceived as hypocrisy.
Some critics dismissed the entire mission as a publicity stunt, echoing Israel's Foreign Ministry's characterization of the voyage as a "'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities'" that was safely escorted to Israeli shores.
Legal rights group Adalah, which represents Thunberg and other activists detained during the incident, confirmed that four individuals—Thunberg, two fellow activists, and a journalist—had agreed to deportation terms.
Other members of the Gaza-bound mission who refused deportation orders remained in Israeli detention facilities. Their cases were scheduled to be heard by Israeli authorities, though the timeline for these proceedings remained unclear.
Before her deportation, Thunberg had claimed that she and her crew were "kidnapped" by Israel Defense Forces troops who captured and boarded their vessel. The assertion prompted additional mockery online, with one social media user commenting: "Looks like her kidnappers didn't want her either."
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition had organized the mission as a protest against Israel's naval blockade of Gaza and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory, now in its second year of intense conflict.
Israeli authorities have maintained that such vessels violate their naval blockade of Gaza, which they consider a necessary security measure. The military has routinely intercepted similar attempts to breach the blockade in the past.
Some online commentators praised Israel's handling of the situation, suggesting the interception prevented a potentially dangerous escalation. "Well done Israel. Stopped the activists from entering a blockade, a conflict zone. Prevented the activists from being kidnapped by Islamic terrorists," wrote one supporter.
The attempted aid delivery comes amid ongoing concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Palestinians face severe shortages of food, medicine, and other essential supplies following more than a year of conflict.
Thunberg's involvement in the mission marked a continuation of her activism beyond climate issues. After being deported from Israel, she was photographed at Charles de Gaulle airport in France, presumably en route back to Sweden.
The incident has highlighted the tensions surrounding humanitarian access to Gaza, with Israel maintaining strict control over what enters the territory, citing security concerns about materials potentially being diverted to Hamas and other militant groups.
