Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 10, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleGreta Thunberg accuses Israel of kidnapping her in international waters while attempting to deliver aid to Gaza. The incident has sparked international attention.
PARIS (Reuters) -Greta Thunberg on Tuesday accused Israel of kidnapping her and her fellow pro-Palestinian activists in international waters, saying she declined to sign a document stating she entered the country illegally prior to being deported.
Speaking in the arrivals section of Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport after being deported from Israel, the Swedish activist said she and her team had broken no laws, and called for the immediate release of the activists still in Israel.
"I was very clear in my testimony that we were kidnapped on international waters and brought against our own will into Israel," she said.
She laughed off criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who had described her as an angry person, saying: "I think the world needs a lot more young angry women to be honest, especially with everything going on right now."
Thunberg, 22, arrived in Paris a day after the Israeli navy prevented her and a group of fellow pro-Palestinian activists from sailing to Gaza.
Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it neared Gaza early on Monday, trying to break through a years-old naval blockade of the coastal enclave, and seized the 12-strong crew, including Thunberg.
Thunberg denied her mission to deliver aid to Gaza by breaking through a years-old naval blockade of the coastal enclave was a PR stunt, saying a previous effort in a larger boat was ended after the vessel was bombed. She said she was now in desperate need of a shower and sleep.
She admitted it was unclear where she would be heading next, telling reporters it could be Sweden.
(Reporting by Lucien Libert; writing by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by GV De Clercq and Richard Lough)
Greta Thunberg accused Israel of kidnapping her and her fellow pro-Palestinian activists in international waters.
Thunberg's mission was to deliver aid to Gaza by breaking through a years-old naval blockade of the coastal enclave.
Thunberg laughed off Trump's criticism, stating that the world needs more young angry women, especially given the current global situation.
Israeli forces boarded their charity vessel as it neared Gaza, preventing them from reaching their destination and subsequently deporting them.
Thunberg mentioned that it was unclear where she would head next, indicating that it could be Sweden.
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