Israel denies reports of mistreatment of Greta Thunberg and Gaza flotilla activists

Tel Aviv [Israel], October 6 (ANI/TPS): Israel's Foreign Ministry on Sunday flatly rejected claims that Greta Thunberg and other activists detained from the Gaza-bound flotilla were being mistreated in prison, calling the reports "brazen lies" and insisting that "all the detainees' legal rights are fully upheld."

The ministry said Thunberg "did not complain to the Israeli authorities about any of these ludicrous and baseless allegations--because they never occurred." It added that she and other detainees had refused to accept fast-track deportation offers, choosing instead to "prolong their stay in custody."

Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla on Friday as its more than 40 boats attempted to breach the naval blockade on Gaza. Around 450 people were detained, including Thunberg, four French lawmakers, and other international activists. Israel said the boats carried no aid and accused participants of seeking confrontation rather than delivering humanitarian relief. "Their true goal was provocation in the service of Hamas," the ministry said.

Documents found in Gaza and recently released by Israel's Foreign Ministry traced direct Hamas involvement in organizing and financing a "close-knit" flotilla seeking to break the Israeli blockade of the Strip.

Officials said Israel is working to deport all participants, but the process has been slowed by legal challenges and foreign governments' "reluctance to accept flights that would return these provocateurs." So far, 137 activists who agreed to voluntary deportation have been sent to Turkey. The flotilla's organizers claim that 328 detainees remain in custody.

Pro-flotilla groups alleged that Thunberg was held in a cell infested with bedbugs and deprived of adequate food and water. The Foreign Ministry dismissed those accounts as fabrications, emphasizing that detainees were being treated in accordance with Israeli and international law.

The controversy deepened when National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he was "proud" that the flotilla detainees were being treated "like terrorists," a remark that drew widespread condemnation abroad.

Meanwhile, four of the French detainees have begun a hunger strike to protest their continued detention, and an American congressman is circulating a letter calling for the release of a detained Jewish American activist.

Israel and Egypt have maintained restrictions on Gaza to prevent weapons smuggling since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007. Since then, Palestinian activists have periodically launched flotillas to challenge the blockade. In 2011, an independent UN inquiry into the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident criticised Israeli forces for using excessive force but upheld the blockade's legality.

Approximately 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 48 remaining hostages, about 20 are believed to be alive. (ANI/TPS)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)