Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has alleged mistreatment while detained by Israeli authorities following her interception during the Global Sumud Flotilla mission to Gaza. According to correspondence from the Swedish foreign ministry obtained by The Guardian, Thunberg reported being held in a bedbug-infested cell, given insufficient food and water, and suffering dehydration and rashes likely caused by the infestations. She also claimed she was forced to pose for photographs holding unidentified flags.
Fellow activists and lawyers supporting the detainees said the flotilla participants faced harsh conditions, including limited food, denied medication, and restricted access to clean water. U.S. activist Windfield Beaver described Thunberg’s treatment as “terrible” and alleged she was “used as propaganda,” while journalist Lorenzo D’Agostino reported she was wrapped in an Israeli flag and displayed like a trophy.
Israeli officials denied the allegations, calling them “complete lies.” The Israeli embassy stated that all detainees had access to food, water, medical care, legal counsel, and restroom facilities, insisting their legal rights were fully respected.
Thunberg was detained alongside over 400 activists, parliamentarians, and lawyers aboard more than 40 vessels attempting to break Israel’s Gaza blockade. The flotilla was intercepted in international waters, and the detainees were held at Ketziot Prison in the Negev Desert before being deported.
On October 6, Thunberg and the other detainees were deported to Greece, bringing an end to the tense standoff.
