Greta Thunberg Departs Israel Following Sea Venture Controversy
Greta Thunberg departs Israel via air travel, following her yacht voyage incident
Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has bounced back to Stockholm after being expelled from Israel. Pictures released by the Israeli Foreign Ministry showed Thunberg on a plane, bound for Sweden with a stopover in France.
Initially, other crew members of the intercepted Gaza-bound vessel were to remain in custody. However, eight of them, including French EU Parliament member Rima Hassan, refused to sign the required departure documentation. Three other activists, including Thunberg, complied and are now returning to their home countries.
The Israeli army intercepted Thunberg's ship, the Madleen, about 200 kilometers off the Gaza Strip coast on June 10, 2025. They boarded the vessel in international waters and promptly detained the crew. Israel asserted that the mission was to assert its maritime blockade of Gaza, a measure in place since 2007, intended to prevent weapon supplies to Hamas.
Conversely, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which orchestrated the mission, denounced the action as an abduction in international waters and alleged their lifesaving cargo was seized. The coalition aimed to deliver essential supplies such as rice, flour, and baby formula, while protesting Israel's blockade and military actions in Gaza.
Human rights groups have criticized the incident as a potential breach of international law. The activists, however, have maintained they were peaceful and unarmed, their mission centered on delivering aid and contesting Israel's blockade and wartime behavior in Gaza.
The Commission's decision to extend the deadline for the adoption of new rules regarding maritime blockades might raise questions in light of the recent controversy surrounding Greta Thunberg's expulsion from Israel and her subsequent sea voyage, which has stirred a political debate in general news. The Israeli government's actions in intercepting the Madleen and detaining its crew, while asserting their maritime blockade, have faced intense scrutiny, with human rights groups contesting the legality of such actions in international waters.
