Israel Deports 171 Participants of ‘Hamas–Sumud Flotilla,’ Including Greta Thunberg

By A Staff Reporter

Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that 171 individuals who took part in what it termed the “Hamas–Sumud flotilla” have been deported from Israel. Among those named was Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. According to the ministry, the deportees were sent to Greece and Slovakia and include citizens from 19 countries, among them Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Switzerland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Serbia, and the United States.

The ministry described the flotilla as a “public relations stunt” and accused participants of spreading “pre-planned fake news.” It further stated that “all the legal rights of the participants … were and will continue to be fully upheld.”

In its statement, the Foreign Ministry said the only violent incident during the operation involved “a Hamas–Sumud provocateur who bit a female medical staff member of Ketsiyot Prison.” Photographs purporting to show Thunberg and other deported participants at the airport prior to departure were also released.