Athens: Swedish activist Greta Thunberg spoke publicly Monday for the first time after being released from an Israeli prison, where she was reportedly beaten and forced to kiss the Israeli flag. Thunberg was among 171 people deported by Israeli authorities after being detained for taking part in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. The group was flown to Greece and Slovakia following their release.

According to Anadolu Agency, there were cheers as Thunberg and other activists arrived in Greece, greeted by supporters after their ordeal. Thunberg spoke at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport in Athens, emphasizing that her personal experience was not what mattered most. She stated her belief that a genocide is occurring in Gaza, urging people to recognize the situation and not claim ignorance in the future.

Thunberg accused Israel of worsening and escalating the genocide with intent to erase a population. She highlighted the importance of focusing on Gaza and similar global situations, such as in Congo, Sudan, and Afghanistan. She expressed her inability to understand the deliberate starvation of millions under siege as a continuation of oppression and apartheid.

In a video posted on her Instagram, Thunberg described the Global Sumud Flotilla as an act of international solidarity with Palestinians. She claimed Israel violated international law by blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza and argued their imprisonment was a result of governmental complicity. Thunberg emphasized the legal obligation of states to end their complicity in genocide, asserting that the UN commissioner confirmed this.

The Global Sumud Flotilla aimed to break the Israeli blockade and deliver aid to Gaza. However, the Israeli army reportedly attacked the flotilla, seizing boats and detaining passengers.