Among Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg Nearly 170 international activists captured by Israel after it intercepted an aid flotilla heading to Gaza were deported to Greece and Slovakia on Monday.
The deportations followed Israel’s naval operation against the Global Sumud Flotilla, which had departed from Spain last month carrying activists and politicians from around the world determined to challenge Israel’s long-standing blockade of Gaza. The flotilla was stopped by Israeli forces near the Gaza coast, and all passengers were taken into custody.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) expressed optimism that former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan — who led the Pakistani contingent aboard the flotilla — would also be safely evacuated “within the next couple of days.”
Deportations and Detainee Treatment
According to accounts shared by released activists, the detainees faced harsh treatment while in Israeli custody, being held in conditions resembling prison camps. Reports suggest an Israeli cabinet minister even appeared in person to berate the captives.
Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed that Monday’s deportations of 171 individuals brought the total number of expelled activists to 341, out of 479 detained. The ministry also released photos of Thunberg at Ramon Airbase in Israel’s Negev Desert, boarding a plane for deportation.
The detainees were citizens of 19 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Ireland. Israeli authorities dismissed the flotilla as a “publicity stunt,” defending the blockade as a security measure.
‘A Live-Streamed Genocide’ — Thunberg Speaks Out
Upon her arrival in Athens, Greta Thunberg addressed reporters and accused world governments of complicity in what she called a “live-streamed genocide” in Gaza. She said the flotilla’s mission aimed to hold global leaders accountable for their failure to act against Israel’s military actions in the besieged territory.
“Let me be very clear,” Thunberg declared. “There is a genocide happening right before our eyes — a live-streamed genocide on all our phones. No one in the future will be able to say they did not know.”
Although she acknowledged the mistreatment activists suffered during detention, Thunberg insisted that the focus should remain on Gaza rather than her own ordeal. “I could talk at length about the abuse, the imprisonment, and the humiliation we endured, but that is not the story,” she said. “The real story is what is happening in Gaza.”
Thunberg described the flotilla as a “last resort” to aid Palestinians, accusing world leaders of “continuing to fuel genocide, death, and destruction.”
“What we set out to do through the Global Sumud Flotilla was to act when our governments refused to fulfill their legal and moral obligations,” she continued. “Israel’s actions represent a deliberate escalation of its genocidal campaign, an attempt to erase an entire population.”
She emphasized that the activists’ mission extended beyond delivering humanitarian aid. “We are not calling only for aid to enter Gaza,” she said. “We are calling for an end to the siege, to the occupation, and to the ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people.”
Pakistan’s Efforts for Ex-Senator’s Evacuation
In Islamabad, the Foreign Office confirmed that Pakistan’s embassy in Amman, Jordan, was coordinating with regional partners to secure the release of former Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, through its embassy in Amman, is working tirelessly to ensure the safe evacuation of former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan,” the FO stated. “With the valuable assistance of the Jordanian government, we are hopeful that the process can be successfully concluded within the next couple of days.”
Last week, Pakistan joined several other nations in strongly condemning Israel’s “dastardly attack” on the humanitarian flotilla. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also pledged to secure the safe return of Pakistani nationals, assuring JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman that the government was making all necessary diplomatic efforts.
The FO further confirmed that through diplomatic channels of a “friendly European country,” it had verified that Mushtaq Ahmad Khan remained in Israeli custody and was “safe and in good health.” It added that the former senator would be presented before a local court, with his repatriation to be expedited once a deportation order was issued.
As the Global Sumud Flotilla controversy continues to unfold, the international community faces renewed scrutiny over its response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza — a crisis that Thunberg insists must not be overshadowed by the activists’ own suffering.
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