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Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg described experiencing physical abuse, humiliation, and threats of being “gassed in a cage” while detained by Israeli forces following the interception of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla last month.
She was among 450 activists on the flotilla, a humanitarian mission consisting of over 40 vessels aiming to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza and deliver vital supplies such as food, water, and medicine.
Thunberg’s interview was published by Aftonbladet, a Swedish tabloid, where she stated she prefers not to have headlines about herself or the alleged torture she endured.
Thunberg and other flotilla members shared details about their five-day detention in Israel, criticizing the Swedish foreign ministry for not providing assistance. “This isn’t about me or the others on the flotilla. Thousands of Palestinians, including many children, are detained without trial right now, and most are probably being tortured,” she told Aftonbladet.
She emphasized that their story is about showing international solidarity—people coming together to do what governments aren’t effectively doing. “If Israel, with the entire world watching, treats a well-known, white person with a Swedish passport this way, just imagine what they do to Palestinians behind closed doors.”
A screenshot from a video shows Thunberg sitting next to someone in tactical gear as Israeli security forces intercepted the flotilla vessels near Crete on September 25, 2025.
After Israeli forces seized her boat, she was taken below deck, where she and others sat in a circle in intense heat. Witnesses describe weapons being pointed at their faces. “It was extremely hot below deck. We just sat there, while guards moved around, tearing things apart and tossing everything around,” Thunberg recounted.
She wasn’t aware of what happened to the aid supplies—food, water, diapers, and infant formula—destined for Gaza.
After roughly 20 hours, they arrived in Ashdod, Israel’s major port south of Tel Aviv. Thunberg recalls being ordered to change out of her “Free Palestine” T-shirt into an orange one with the word “Decolonize.”
She was then taken to a fenced area where she was detained for more than six hours. During this time, she was separated from others and repeatedly assaulted while wrapped in a flag. Guards tore off her frog-shaped hat, stomped on it, and were visibly angry.
Thunberg was eventually moved to a corner, facing the wall, where an officer mockingly said, “A special place for a special lady.” Guards repeatedly forced her down when she tried to lift her head. Her hands were tied with cable ties, and guards took selfies with her.
She was subjected to multiple interrogations, during which officials pressured her to sign documents falsely claiming she entered Israel illegally. She refused, and her hands were again bound, eyes blindfolded, before being placed in a small, cold cell overnight.
At the detention facility, she was forced to undress in front of officials who mocked her. Her essential medications, including treatments for heart disease, cancer, and insulin, were discarded before her eyes.
Inside, a mural depicted a scene of Gaza after bombing, civilians fleeing, and the words “The new Gaza” next to a large Israeli flag.
During detention, about 60 people were put into a confined cage outside under the brutal sun, with most unable to sit comfortably. Witnesses say guards threatened to gas them, waving a gas cylinder and making explicit threats.
The detainees were only briefly allowed to consult a lawyer before being denied further access. Eventually, Swedish embassy officials were permitted to meet them outdoors. When the detainees demanded water, the embassy staff wanted to leave, despite efforts by activists to prevent that.
A female activist, enraged, kicked a trash can where guards had thrown water bottles, spilling them on the floor. Thunberg and others then hurriedly drank what was left behind.
Once the five-day detention ended, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called the trip to Gaza “very foolish,” despite earlier warnings. However, Aftonbladet’s review shows the Swedish Foreign Ministry minimized the severity of the situation in official communications, describing Thunberg’s harsh treatment as simply “sitting on a hard surface for a long time.”
Other detainees confirmed Thunberg’s account of physical abuse and humiliation, with their families also criticizing how the embassy responded to the crisis.
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