Greta Thunberg says she and other activists were "kidnapped and tortured" by the Israeli military after she and 478 others who were part of a Gaza aid flotilla were detained and held in Israeli custody before some were expelled from Israel Monday. At a Stockholm press conference Tuesday, the Swedish climate activist kept specifics vague, saying she had no access to clean water and others were denied vital medications, Reuters reports. She refused to give details beyond that, emphasizing that her ordeal was minor compared to what Gazans endure. "Personally, I don't want to share what I was subjected to because I don't want it to make headlines and 'Greta has been tortured', because that's not the story here," she said. A Turkish journalist previously used the word "torture" to describe what he saw happening to Thunberg in custody, Al Jazeera reports.
Israel has pushed back hard, insisting all detainees got food, water, restrooms, and legal access. "All their legal rights were fully upheld," a foreign ministry spokesperson told Reuters last week, rejecting accusations of mistreatment. Thunberg was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which Israel has slammed as a "publicity stunt" benefiting Hamas. This wasn't Thunberg's first run-in with Israeli authorities—she was detained in June for a similar blockade challenge.
Adding another layer, Swedish activists claim Thunberg was pushed, "dragged on the ground," and forced to wear and kiss an Israeli flag in custody, though she sidestepped those specifics in her remarks. Both Thunberg and fellow flotilla members criticized Sweden's government for what they saw as insufficient help during detention. The government responded, saying it repeatedly warned against Gaza travel but did offer consular support and pressed Israel to treat Swedish citizens appropriately.
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