Many international activists deported from Israel after a Gaza aid flotilla was intercepted have accused Israeli forces of mistreating Greta Thunberg, prominent climate activist.
137 deportees landed in Istanbul on Saturday, which included 36 Turkish nationals and activists from the United States, Italy, Malaysia Kuwait, Switzerland, Tunisia, Libya, Jordan and other countries, Turkish officials confirmed.
Ersin Celik, Turkish journalist and a participant of the Gaza Sumud Flotilla, told local media outlets that he witnessed Israeli forces “torture Greta Thunberg,” describing how she was “dragged on the ground” and “forced to kiss the Israeli flag.”
Other activists gave similar accounts at Istanbul Airport, alleging Thunberg was shoved and paraded with an Israeli flag.
“It was a disaster. They treated us like animals,” Malaysian activist Hazwani Helmi said, adding that detainees were denied food, clean water, and medication.
Italian journalist Lorenzo Agostino, who had been on the flotilla, also cited the treatment of Thunberg.
“Greta Thunberg, a brave woman, is only 22 years old. She was humiliated and wrapped in an Israeli flag and exhibited like a trophy,” he told Anadolu.
Others also described severe mistreatment. Turkish TV presenter Ikbal Gurpinar said, “They treated us like dogs. They left us hungry for three days. They didn’t give us water; we had to drink from the toilet … It was a terribly hot day, and we were all roasting.” She said the ordeal gave her “a better understanding of Gaza”.
Aycin Kantoglu, a Turkish activist, recounted bloodstained prison walls and messages scrawled by previous detainees. “We saw mothers writing their children’s names on the walls. We actually experienced a little bit of what Palestinians go through,” she said.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said 26 Italians had been deported, while 15 remained in Israeli custody awaiting expulsion.
“Those who were acting legally were the people aboard those boats; those who acted illegally were those who prevented them from reaching Gaza", Italian MP Arturo Scotto, who was on the flotilla, told reporters.
The Gaza Sumud Flotilla, launched in late August, was the latest international effort to break Israel's siege and deliver aid to Palestinians.
Adalah, an Israeli human rights organization that offers legal assistance, stated that detainees had reported being forced to kneel for hours with their hands bound by zip ties, denied access to medication, and prevented from contacting their lawyers. Israel’s foreign ministry rejected these allegations as “complete lies,” asserting that all detainees were treated in accordance with the law.
More than 200 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to Committee to Protect Journalists. Israel has also denied access to independent journalists in the enclave to verify their claims.
“All of Adalah’s claims are complete lies. Of course, all detainees … were given access to water, food, and restrooms; they were not denied access to legal counsel, and all their legal rights were fully upheld,” a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told the news agency Reuters.
Israel has faced mounting condemnation for the raid on the flotilla, which saw its navy intercept approximately 40 boats carrying aid to Gaza and detain more than 450 people on board.
Critics say the assault underscores the illegality of Israel’s blockade, which has cut off the enclave’s 2.3 million residents during Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.
