Israel deports Swedish activist after Gaza aid ship seized

By Betul Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - Israel said Tuesday that it had deported a Swedish activist, who was detained on an aid ship bound for the blockaded Gaza Strip.

The Madleen vessel was boarded by Israeli forces early Monday before it could reach the Gaza shore and was towed to Ashdod Port.

The vessel had 12 foreign activists onboard, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

“Greta Thunberg just departed Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France),” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on its official X account.

Carrying an amount of aid, the British-flagged ship aimed to break a crippling blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza, where nearly 55,000 people have been killed in a brutal onslaught since October 2023.