Featured Image Credit: Fabrizio Villa/Getty
Topics: Greta Thunberg, Israel, Politics
Joe Yates
Activist Greta Thunberg is being deported from Israel after the Israeli military seized the Gaza-bound ship she was on.
Thunberg, along with 11 other activists, were onboard the Madleen, a boat carrying aid for people in Gaza. Israeli naval forces seized the ship early on Monday (local time) about 125 miles off Gaza's coast, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the group that organised the journey.
In a pre-recorded Twitter video on Sunday (June 8), Thunberg claimed that she and her group had been 'kidnapped in international waters' by Israeli forces; however, Israel's Foreign Ministry described their voyage as 'a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity'.
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The boat, accompanied by Israel's navy, arrived in the Israeli port of Ashdod on Monday evening.
In a post on Twitter, Israel's Foreign Ministry shared a photo of Thunberg on a plane, stating that she was en route to France before continuing to Sweden.
Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing the 22-year-old and the other activists, said that Thunberg, two other campaigners and a journalist had agreed to be deported.
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Other activists refused deportation and were being held in detention, with their case set to be heard by Israeli authorities (via Sky News).
Sabine Haddad, a spokeswoman for Israel's Interior Ministry, said the activists who were being deported on Tuesday had waived their right to appear before a judge, while those who did not will face one and will be held for 96 hours before being deported, according to The Washington Post.
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was among the volunteers on board.
She had been previously barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians; however, it has not been made clear whether she'll deported or detained, the outlet further reports.
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However, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday (June 10) that one of the detained French activists had signed an expulsion order and would be leaving Israel for France. However, he did not clarify who had signed the order.
Meanwhile, the other five refused, he said, and that all the activists received consular visits.
According to FFC, the group were 'expected to be moved to the Ramleh detention facility unless they agree to leave immediately' at around 1am.
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They said: "We continue to demand the immediate release of all volunteers and the return of the stolen aid. Their detention is unlawful and a violation of international law."
Adalah also added that Israel had 'no legal authority' to seize the ship because the group had said it was in international waters and was not headed for Israel but rather to the 'territorial waters of the state of Palestine'.