Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was allegedly mistreated while in Israeli detention after joining a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to fellow activists who were later deported to Turkey.
The claims include physical assault, humiliation, and denial of basic needs, though Israel has strongly denied the allegations.
Activists Allege Abuse, Denial of Food and Water
A total of 137 activists were deported and landed in Istanbul on Saturday, Turkish foreign ministry sources confirmed. The group included nationals from the US, UAE, Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Switzerland, Tunisia, and Jordan.
Two activists, Malaysian national Hazwani Helmi and American citizen Windfield Beaver, told Reuters that detainees were mistreated and deprived of clean food and water. “It was a disaster. They treated us like animals. Greta Thunberg was shoved and forced to wear an Israeli flag,” said Helmi, 28, adding that belongings and medicines were seized by Israeli forces.
Paolo Romano, an Italian regional councillor, told AFP that detainees were “forced to kneel, face down” and beaten if they moved. “They laughed, insulted, and beat us using both psychological and physical violence,” he said.
Greta Thunberg was physically assaulted, dragged, or forced to kiss the Israeli flag by Israeli authorities.
-Turkish journalist and Sumud Flotilla activist Ersin Çelik#GlobalSumudFlotilla pic.twitter.com/v9W8IfCBfa— War Updates FC (@k_c_shivansh) October 4, 2025
Sweden Confirms Contact as Israel Rejects Claims
An email from the Swedish foreign ministry to Thunberg’s associates, reviewed by The Guardian, said a visiting official met Thunberg, who described being held in a bedbug-infested cell with inadequate food and water. “She has received insufficient amounts of both water and food,” the email said, adding that she had developed rashes she attributed to bedbugs.
Turkish activist Ersin Celik, speaking to Anadolu Agency, alleged that Thunberg was “dragged by her hair, beaten, and forced to kiss the Israeli flag.”
Israel, however, called the accusations “complete lies.” A foreign ministry spokesperson told Reuters that detainees received food, water, and legal counsel, adding, “Their legal rights were fully upheld.”
The flotilla, part of an activist mission to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, was intercepted in late August. Israel maintains the blockade, imposed since 2007, as part of its security measures amid the ongoing war with Hamas.
