CNN
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Swedish climate and human rights activist Greta Tanberg departed Israel on a flight to France Tuesday after being detained by Israeli forces along with other activists on a Gaza-bound aid ship.
“Greta Samberg just left Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France),” Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote in X’s post along with two photos of young activists on the plane.
The 22-year-old Samberg is a well-known climate activist who has long avoided air travel, famously sailing to a climate conference held in New York in 2019.
At least five fellow crew members who were detained on a Mudline aid ship on Monday were detained on the Mudline aid ship, according to the French Foreign Minister on Tuesday.
“Last night, our consul was able to see six French citizens arrested by Israeli authorities. Their family was contacted. One of them agreed to a voluntary departure and is due to return home today. The other five will be deported.
One of the French citizens detained by Israel on Monday is Lima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament.
“In the last few hours, the President of the European Parliament has been in constant contact with Israeli authorities. Lima Hassan was one of Mudoreen and those who accompanied her to ensure the safety and security of Lima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry had previously said that anyone who refused to leave Israel by signing deportation documents would approve deportation before the judicial authorities.
The detained crew of aid vessel detained in Gaza that Israel had docked at Israel’s port of Ashdod on Monday morning, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
The Madleen is part of the Fleet of Freedom, which opposed Israel’s blockade of Gaza and sought to destroy the siege with boats.
The Freedom Frotilla Union (FFC) said Israeli forces were “attacked” by Madreen and “illegally boarded.” Madreen was about to deliver aid to Gaza, where more than 600 days of war and 11 weeks of Israeli lockdown of all aid pushed 2.1 million people in Enkoleve to the hungry Christies.
Amnesty International also condemned activists’ detention.
“The interception of insanity and operation of the bloc in the middle of the night and in international waters is violating international law and putting the safety of those on boats at risk,” Amnes Caramado, executive director of Amnesty International, said in a statement.
In a statement to CNN, Israel said “in accordance with international law, it is preventing all ships from entering the Gaza Strip.”
Israel repeatedly vowed to stop the aid boat from arriving in Gaza, describing the ship as a “selfie yacht” carrying “celebrities.”
Israel imposed a complete humanitarian blockade in Gaza on March 2, blocking food, medical supplies and other aid to more than 2 million Palestinians living on the territory for 11 weeks.
Facing growing international pressure, Israel began allowing trickle aid in late May. However, humanitarian organisations say that only a portion of aid entered the enclave before the war, warning of an exacerbating humanitarian crisis and the increasing risk of widespread hunger. In late April, one in five people warned that they were facing starvation.
Dozens of Palestinians have been killed in the past week and are about to get help from a new US aid group that has been asked to provide assistance to Gaza by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The group aims to replace the unused system that distributes aid to Gaza. The United Nations warns that the new distribution mechanism has become a “death trap” for desperate people seeking food on the strip.
