Israel Deports Greta Thunberg and Other Activists on Gaza Aid Boat
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it would deport four activists who were detained aboard an aid ship bound for Gaza, including the environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg.
Ms. Thunberg and another passenger were promptly flown out of Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv, and two more passengers were expected to be sent home later on Tuesday, according to Israeli officials.
Another eight passengers from the ship, called the Madleen, refused to sign deportation documents and will be brought before an Israeli immigration tribunal to carry out their deportation, the ministry said.
Israeli forces intercepted the boat, operated by a pro-Palestinian activist group called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, on Monday. The passengers also included Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. In February, she was blocked from entering Israel for promoting boycotts of the country.
At a news conference, Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, described the ship’s voyage as a public relations stunt. He said it was Israel’s intention to deliver to Gaza “the tiny amount of aid on the yacht that they did not consume.”