‘Mistreated’ Greta Thunberg allegedly ‘forced to hold flags’ and kept in ‘bedbug-infested cell’ while detained in Israel
Topics: Greta Thunberg, Israel, News
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Kike Rincon/Europa Press via Getty Images
Topics: Greta Thunberg, Israel, News
Israel has been accused of keeping Greta Thunberg in a ‘bedbug-infested cell’ after the activist previously said she had been ‘abducted’ by the country.
Thunberg 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.
There have been reports of 'widespread starvation, malnutrition and disease' in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) says that one in three people are going without food for days at a time, as officials share fears of a 'humanitarian catastrophe' in the war-struck region.
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Organizations have been trying to get aid into Gaza to help those suffering, with Thunberg part of the efforts - though the 22-year-old's latest move did not exactly go to plan.
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's been 'abducted'.
According to a correspondence seen by The Guardian, Israeli forces are said to be forcing Thunberg to 'hold flags’ while being held in custody, though the identity of the flags is unknown.
Meanwhile, an email penned by the Swedish foreign ministry to those close to Thunberg has 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 continued: "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."
The Israeli embassy has since dismissed the claims 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, carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid to Gaza, but these vessels went on to be boarded by Israeli forces who detained dozens on board, including European lawmakers and Thunberg.
The organizers of the flotilla said at least 39 of their boats were intercepted or assumed to be intercepted in a night-long Israeli operation.
As well as Thunberg, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau and European Parliament member Rima Hassan were also among the detainees.