Israel has provided an update on the whole Greta Thunberg situation after the activist was allegedly 'mistreated' and kept in a 'bedbug infested cell'.
Thunberg - who was previously 'kidnapped' by Israeli forces after a Freedom Flotilla boat she was on was intercepted - recently shared a video to social media saying she'd been 'abducted'. The 22-year-old has tried on multiple occasions to get into Gaza to provide aid to those who are suffering as a result of the blockade being carried out by Israeli forces.
Media reports of 'widespread starvation, malnutrition and disease' in Gaza have been apparent amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.
As per a correspondence seen by The Guardian, Israeli forces were said to be forcing Thunberg to 'hold flags’ while being held in custody after she was detained.
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Meanwhile, an email penned by the Swedish foreign ministry to those close to Thunberg said that an official who visited the activist in prison reported that her cell was 'infested with bedbugs, with too little food and water', the outlet reports.
The email reads: "The embassy has been able to meet with Greta. She informed of dehydration. She has received insufficient amounts of both water and food. She also stated that she had developed rashes which she suspects were caused by bedbugs. She spoke of harsh treatment and said she had been sitting for long periods on hard surfaces."
The Swedish ministry’s official added: "Another detainee reportedly told another embassy that they had seen her [Thunberg] being forced to hold flags while pictures were taken. She wondered whether images of her had been distributed."
Israel's foreign ministry has confirmed on Monday (October 6) that Thunberg has since been deported, alongside 170 other activists.
Photos shared by Israeli officials show Thunberg and other activists making their way through an airport in the same gray sweatsuits and white t-shirts.
Israel says 'all the legal rights of the participants in this PR stunt were and will continue to be fully upheld', adding 'the lies they are spreading are part of their pre-planned fake news campaign'.
Officials from Israel had previous dismissed the 'bedbug infested cell' talk as 'complete lies', adding: "All detainees from the Hamas-Sumud provocation were given access to water, food and toilets; they were not denied access to legal counsel, and all their legal rights, including access to medical care, were fully upheld."
The Global Sumud Flotilla sent out more than 40 boats and nearly 450 activists in an attempt to aid those in Gaza, but these vessels were ultimately intercepted by Israeli forces.
Topics: Greta Thunberg, Israel, World News
Callum Jones