Israel Intercepts Gaza-Bound Freedom Flotilla and Detains Activists, Including Greta Thunberg

Photo Credit: Freedom Flotilla Coalition via Aljazeera

Hundreds of international activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, were detained between Oct. 1 and Oct. 3 by Israeli forces after the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza was intercepted about 70 nautical miles from shore, according to the Global Sumud Flotilla Tracker. 

Although Israeli forces often patrol in the region, they have no international legal jurisdiction, as it is classified as international waters. The flotilla, part of the Freedom Flotilla coalition, had aimed to break Israel’s 16-year naval blockade of Gaza and deliver medical supplies and food to residents.

According to the CBC, the GSF consisted of over 40 civilian vessels and almost 500 activists, mainly consisting of lawyers, doctors, and journalists.

Israel’s navy claimed the flotilla was “approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful naval blockade.” The GSF, however, called the interception “illegal” and “a brazen act of desperation,” according to the BBC. 

Thunberg’s five-day detainment in a prison cell drew particular attention after reports emerged of her harsh treatment in Israeli custody. A Swedish Foreign Ministry email seen by The Guardian described her as being held in a cell infested with bedbugs, deprived of adequate food and water, and suffering from dehydration and rashes. 

“​​This shows that if Israel, with the whole world watching, can treat a well-known, white person with a Swedish passport this way, just imagine what they do to Palestinians behind closed doors,” Thunberg said to Aftonbladet after being released from detainment. 

Witnesses say that Israeli forces dragged Thunberg by her hair, beat her, and forced her to hold or kiss Israeli flags while being photographed, according to The Guardian. A journalist who was detained with her described her being “wrapped in the Israeli flag and paraded like a trophy,” according to The Guardian.

Israeli officials have dismissed these claims as “complete lies,” according to The Guardian. The embassy stated that “All detainees from the Hamas-Sumud provocation were given access to water, food and toilets; they were not denied access to legal counsel, and all their legal rights, including access to medical care, were fully upheld.” On the contrary, reports have emerged of water cannons being used on the flotilla.

Israel’s interception of the flotilla and subsequent detainments have triggered international condemnation. Colombian President Gustavo Petro expelled Israeli diplomats, cancelled Colombia’s free trade deal with Israel, and called the incident an “international crime,” according to the BBC. Furthermore, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, called Israel’s blockade “unlawful,” while UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, urged Israel to “urgently lift the blockade on Gaza and allow the entry of life-saving material,” according to the BBC.

Governments in the UK, Ireland, and several EU states expressed concern, with Ireland confirming that seven of its citizens, including Sinn Féin Senator Chris Andrews, were among those detained. 

In contrast, Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, criticized the flotilla, saying the mission “brought no benefit to the Palestinian people," according to the BBC.

According to the CBC, a member of the legal team for the GSF, Caoimhe Buttefly, has said that there will be another attempt to breach Israel’s blockade “in the coming years.” 

Organizers from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which previously led two similar missions stopped by Israel in June and July, will be launching this attempt, which will potentially involve up to 13 vessels.

The controversy comes amid worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza. According to the BBC, the United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) recently confirmed that famine exists in Gaza as a result of Israel’s “systematic obstruction” of aid. Israel and the United States have promoted an alternative aid route through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which the UN has condemned as unethical and “inherently unsafe.” 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the famine assessment as “an outright lie,” as per the BBC.