Thunberg and an activist from Slovakia deported after attempting to break the blockade of Gaza

Israel has deported Greta Thunberg and 170 other activists, including Slovakian Peter Švestka, from an international flotilla that attempted to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip last week. This brings the total number of deportees to 341 out of the original 479 who were arrested.

The deportees come from more than 18 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Germany.

The Slovak Foreign Ministry worked with the Ministry of Defense to organize the repatriation of the detained Slovak. Together with Greece, Slovakia is one of the first European countries to use its own resources to ensure the return of its citizens. Nine citizens from the Netherlands, Canada, and the US are also on board the Slovak plane bound for Bratislava.

Some of those previously released reported that the conditions of detention were inhumane – without access to toilets, medication, or water. The military allegedly treated Thunberg even worse: she was forced to kiss the Israeli flag and was abused for propaganda purposes.

The flotilla of around forty ships set sail at the end of August to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid. Israel condemned the mission as a deception and declared it a “lawful naval blockade” intended to prevent arms smuggling to the militant Hamas.

(reuters, max)