Tel aviv: Israel on Monday deported 171 more international activists who were detained aboard an aid flotilla that aimed to challenge Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip. An Israeli Foreign Ministry statement confirmed that these activists, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, included Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and were deported to Greece and Slovakia.

According to Anadolu Agency, the deported individuals were nationals from multiple countries, including Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Switzerland, Norway, the UK, Serbia, and the United States. Thunberg reportedly informed Swedish officials that her detention conditions included a cell infested with bedbugs and insufficient provision of food and water.

In a separate account, Turkish activist Ersin Celik informed Anadolu that Israeli forces "severely tortured Greta before our eyes," adding that they "made her crawl and made her kiss the Israeli flag." This incident follows the earlier deportation of approximately 170 flotilla activists, primarily to Istanbul, with smaller groups being sent to Italy and Spain, as reported by the Israeli legal center Adalah.

Israeli naval forces had previously attacked and seized vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla late Wednesday, detaining more than 470 activists from over 50 countries. The flotilla had been attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge the Israeli blockade of the enclave.

Israel's blockade of Gaza has been in place for nearly 18 years, affecting the lives of nearly 2.4 million residents. Since October 2023, ongoing Israeli bombardments have resulted in the deaths of over 67,200 Palestinians, most of whom were women and children, leaving the area uninhabitable and pushing Gaza towards famine.