Israel has sent 171 foreign activists back to their home countries after they tried to bring aid to Gaza. One of them was Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The group was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which tried to break Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza last week.
Israeli officials said the activists were flown to Greece and Slovakia. The group included people from Greece, Slovakia, France, Italy, the UK, and the United States. Photos showed Greta Thunberg wearing a grey tracksuit at the airport during her departure.
So far, 341 people out of more than 470 on the flotilla have been deported. The flotilla had 42 boats and wanted to bring aid and protest what the organizers called the “illegal siege on Gaza.” They said their goal was to open a safe path for aid and show the world how badly Palestinians are suffering.
The activists said Israel broke international laws and that people were mistreated while in custody. They said they didn’t get proper treatment or basic rights.
Israel denied these claims. Officials said the flotilla was just a publicity stunt and that the blockade is legal. They also said the reports of mistreatment were false and called them “fake news.”