Why was Greta Thunberg detained by Israel and what happens next?

Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg has been detained by Israeli forces while participating in a large-scale maritime mission aimed at breaking the blockade on Gaza.

The incident has provoked street protests and questions about the legality of Israel’s naval operations.

What did the Gaza-bound flotilla set to achieve?

The flotilla intercepted this week is known as the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF). It represents one of the largest recent attempts by activists and international lawmakers to challenge Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, in place since Hamas seized control of the enclave in 2007.

Comprising more than 40 boats and around 500 participants, the convoy carried parliamentarians, lawyers, and activists from different parts of the world.

Organisers said their mission was to deliver vital goods — food, water, and medicine — directly to civilians in Gaza rather than through Israeli-controlled channels.

The flotilla left Barcelona on August 31, 2025, and was joined by other activist ships at Mediterranean ports along the way, including from Spain, Italy, and Turkey.

The operation was explicitly described by organisers as a “non-violent humanitarian cause” intended to highlight the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Supporters framed the mission as a symbolic effort to draw attention to Israel’s restrictions on aid and as a moral obligation to assist a population facing severe deprivation.

How was the flotilla intercepted at sea by Israel?

The flotilla’s voyage came to a halt on Wednesday evening, when Israeli naval forces intercepted the first vessels about 70 nautical miles from Gaza.

Videos posted by both the Israeli Foreign Ministry and flotilla participants documented the tense encounters.

In footage shared by Israel’s authorities, Greta Thunberg could be seen seated on a deck surrounded by armed soldiers.

The Israeli ministry confirmed her detention, stating, “Several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port. Greta and her friends are safe and healthy.”

Organisers accused Israel of aggressive tactics. The GSF claimed one ship was “deliberately rammed” while two others were “targeted with water cannons”.

Video evidence released by the group purportedly showed the vessel Yulara being doused, though no passengers were reported injured.

According to GSF, Israel’s navy disrupted communications, including live video feeds, as it moved to halt the convoy. Messages posted on Telegram alleged that activists had been forcibly taken to Israel against their will.

By early Thursday, 13 boats had been intercepted or stopped, but 30 others remained on course, with organisers declaring: “The flotilla will continue undeterred.”

They estimated they were around 46 nautical miles from Gaza at that stage and reiterated their plan to reach the enclave unless blocked again.

What was Israel’s justification for the raid?

Israeli authorities argued that the flotilla had ignored multiple warnings and was attempting to breach a lawful blockade during wartime.

Prior to the interception, Israel’s navy had contacted the convoy, cautioning that it was entering an “active combat zone” and urging it to change course.

Israel stressed that it had offered alternative routes for aid to be delivered safely. These included the port of Ashkelon, where supplies could be transferred into Gaza through established channels.

Israeli officials dismissed the flotilla as a political manoeuvre rather than a genuine relief mission. Ambassador Jonathan Peled, representing Israel in Italy, wrote, “This systematic refusal (to hand over the aid) demonstrates that the objective is not humanitarian, but provocative.”

Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon went further, describing the flotilla as a “PR stunt” and warning that participants who “tried to enter Israeli territory illegally” would be deported after the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur.

He added, “We will not allow any PR stunt approaching an active war zone to violate our sovereignty.”

Are there any Hamas links to the flotilla?

Israel has alleged that Hamas was directly tied to the flotilla’s organisation. The Foreign Ministry claimed it had recovered documents in Gaza demonstrating a connection between flotilla leaders and Hamas’s foreign arm, the Palestinian Conference for Palestinians (PCPA).

The ministry said one recovered document, dated 2021, was a letter from former Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, in which he endorsed the PCPA.

Another listed members of the group, including Zaher Birawi, a long-time organiser of activist flotillas and head of PCPA in the United Kingdom.

Israel described the PCPA as “Hamas’ representative body abroad, operating de facto as Hamas’ embassies”, and argued that it mobilised protests and maritime missions under civilian cover.

The group was officially designated a terrorist organisation by Israel in 2021.

The flotilla’s organisers have rejected these claims, calling them propaganda, and insisted that their mission was non-violent and humanitarian.

How have global leaders reacted?

The interception set off immediate diplomatic tremors across multiple regions.

Turkey: Ankara condemned the raid as “an act of terror”, with protests breaking out in Istanbul.

Colombia: President Gustavo Petro expelled the Israeli diplomatic mission from his country, despite Israel not having an ambassador in place since last year.

He declared the detentions a potential “new international crime” and wrote, “The free trade agreement with Israel is denounced immediately. The entire Israeli diplomatic delegation in Colombia is leaving.”

Malaysia: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim condemned Israel’s actions, confirming that eight Malaysians were detained.

“By blocking a humanitarian mission, Israel has shown utter contempt not only for the rights of the Palestinian people but also for the conscience of the world,” he said.

France: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot urged Israel to protect participants’ safety and respect consular rights.

Italy: Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani emphasised the need to avoid escalation, remarking: “The matter should end without damage.” He added that Israel had instructed its military, “No acts of violence against the people aboard the flotilla.”

Public demonstrations also broke out across Italy, Greece, Tunisia, and Argentina. Italian unions announced a general strike across sectors in solidarity with Gaza and the flotilla participants.

Images and videos circulating on social media showed protesters gathering in cities including Rome, Pisa, Florence, and Turin.

Demonstrations also took place in Istanbul and Buenos Aires.

The incident reignited long-standing tensions over Israel’s blockade. For Turkey, memories of the 2010 Mavi Marmara raid — in which Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish activists and a tenth later died of injuries — resurfaced.

Colombian authorities, too, cited concerns of repeating past tragedies, while Palestinian groups labelled the raid “an act of piracy.”

What will happen to those detained?

This is not Greta Thunberg’s first detention by Israel. In June this year, she was part of a smaller Gaza-bound boat organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which was intercepted by Israeli forces.

On that occasion, Thunberg and her fellow activists were detained and deported.

As of Thursday morning, organisers reported that 30 boats were still en route to Gaza, while the intercepted vessels had been redirected to Israeli ports. They pledged to continue their mission despite obstacles.

Israel has signalled that detained participants may be processed and deported after the Yom Kippur holiday.

The possibility of further confrontations at sea remains, with international navies monitoring developments — Spain, Italy, and Turkey have reportedly deployed assets to protect their nationals.

The flotilla’s organisers framed their stance, “We call on governments and international institutions to demand their immediate safety and release.”

Meanwhile, Israeli officials remain firm in their position that the flotilla’s purpose is to provoke rather than to help. As Jonathan Peled said, “The objective is not humanitarian, but provocative.”

The backdrop to the flotilla is the severe humanitarian situation in Gaza. Nearly two years into Israel’s military campaign, launched after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault that killed around 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in 251 hostages, the toll inside Gaza has been catastrophic.

According to Gaza health authorities, more than 65,000 people have been killed since the offensive began.

International organisations, including the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), have warned of famine conditions, describing the situation as “man-made.”

Israel maintains that Hamas uses humanitarian cover to smuggle weapons and strengthen its military infrastructure.

Flotilla organisers argue that aid delivery via Israel is inadequate and politicised, insisting that only direct delivery to Gaza’s civilians is acceptable.

With inputs from agencies

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