The detention of climate activist Greta Thunberg and hundreds of others following the Israeli Navy’s interception of a Gaza-bound activist flotilla has erupted into a bitter diplomatic row, with the Israeli government fiercely denying claims that Thunberg was subjected to harsh and unsanitary conditions in custody.
The controversy surrounds the seizure of the 42-vessel Global Sumud Flotilla on Thursday, October 1, by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Thunberg, 22, was among approximately 450 activists detained after the convoy—which aimed to breach the naval blockade and deliver symbolic aid to Gaza—was stopped in international waters.
Claims of ‘Harsh’ Conditions and Rashes
Correspondence from the Swedish Foreign Ministry, seen by The Guardian, detailed Thunberg’s allegations of mistreatment.
- Thunberg told Swedish officials she was held in a cell infested with bedbugs, developing rashes she suspected were caused by the pests.
- She also complained of dehydration, stating she was denied adequate food and water, and described the overall treatment during her detention as “harsh and exhausting.”
- A letter shared with her parents reportedly reinforced these concerns.
- Other activists painted an even more severe picture, with Turkish journalist Ersin Çelik alleging that guards “dragged little Greta by her hair, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag.”
READ: Israel Says Greta Thunberg’s ‘Freedom Flotilla’ Is Directly Linked To Hamas
Israel Labels Claims ‘Brazen Lies’
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has vehemently rejected the reports, making the denial the central point of its public statements.
- In a statement shared Sunday on X, a ministry spokesperson said all detainees’ “legal rights were fully upheld,” insisting that the activist “did not complain to Israeli authorities about any of these ludicrous and baseless allegations because they never occurred.”
- The ministry labeled the reports as “brazen lies,” emphasizing that all detainees had access to food, water, legal counsel, and medical care.
- Court documents from an October 5 hearing before Israel’s Population and Migration Tribunal reportedly showed Thunberg requested deportation to Sweden but made no formal complaint of mistreatment while in custody, an account the ministry cited to support its position.
Minister’s Defense of ‘Terrorist’ Conditions
Adding fuel to the fire, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir described the flotilla participants as “supporters of terrorism.”
“I was proud they experienced the same conditions as terrorist detainees,” Ben-Gvir said, referencing the high-security Ketziot Prison in the Negev, where most of the activists were held before being deported. The ministry also noted that one Spanish detainee from the flotilla allegedly bit a female medical staff member at the prison.
The Interception and ABBA Music
The interception itself occurred after the vessels—which had sailed from ports in Spain, Italy, Tunisia, and Greece—ignored multiple warnings to turn back from the Israeli-enforced blockade area. The Israeli Foreign Ministry called the mission the “Hamas-Sumud provocation,” and confirmed all activists were safe and would be deported to Europe.
Before the IDF took control of the vessels, the flotilla’s communications were reportedly hijacked and bombarded with ABBA music, in what activists described as a psychological tactic.
Despite the highly contentious claims of abuse, the ministry stressed that the “provocation is over” and no vessel succeeded in breaching the “lawful naval blockade.”
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