Israel deports Thunberg after seizing Gaza aid boat
The Swedish activist was delivering food and medical aid to Palestine, highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis there


What happened
Israel Tuesday deported Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and three fellow passengers on a boat seized Monday while trying to deliver a symbolic amount of food and medical aid to the Gaza Strip to highlight Israel's longtime blockade of the Palestinian enclave and the growing humanitarian crisis there. Eight other shipmates refused to sign deportation documents and were being held in an Israeli prison awaiting court hearings.
Who said what
Israel committed "an illegal act by kidnapping us on international waters and against our will, bringing us to Israel," Thunberg, 22, said after landing at a Paris airport Tuesday. Spanish activist Sergio Toribio, deported to Barcelona, called Israel's commandeering of the British-flagged yacht the Madleen a "pirate attack in international waters." Israel dismissed the aid mission as a "selfie yacht" publicity stunt.
President Donald Trump on Monday called Thunberg a "young angry person" and dismissed her abduction claim, telling reporters that "Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg." Thunberg responded yesterday: "I think the world needs a lot more young angry women."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
Another 36 Palestinians were killed while trying to access food aid in Gaza Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry and local hospitals said. In all, "at least 163 people have been killed and 1,495 wounded in a number of shootings near aid sites" set up by the controversial U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation after Israel eased its full aid blockade last month, The Associated Press said. Israel's military has "acknowledged firing warning shots."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
China's Xi hosts Modi, Putin, Kim in challenge to US
Speed Read Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Asian leaders at an SCO summit
-
What is Tony Blair's plan for Gaza?
Today's Big Question Former PM has reportedly been putting together a post-war strategy 'for the past several months'
-
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 23, hits EU offices
Speed Read The strike was the second-largest since Russia invaded in 2022
-
UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping mission
Speed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
-
How Israel's 'Legitimisation Cell' is justifying journalist killings in Gaza
The Explainer Evidence suggests a secret intelligence unit is portraying Palestinian journalists as Hamas operatives
-
Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital kills 20
Speed Read The dead include five journalists who worked for The Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera
-
Kyiv marks independence as Russia downplays peace
Speed Read President Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Zelenskyy for peace talks pushed by President Donald Trump
-
Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?
In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal