Israel accused of detaining Greta Thunberg in infested cell and making her hold flags
Greta Thunberg has told Swedish officials she is facing severe mistreatment in Israeli custody following her arrest and removal from a Gaza aid flotilla, according to correspondence reviewed by The Guardian.
The correspondence claims Israeli forces photographed Thunberg while allegedly forcing her to hold several unidentified flags. Another detainee reportedly relayed the incident to embassy staff.
In an email from Sweden’s foreign ministry, seen by The Guardian, an official who visited Thunberg in prison said she reported being kept in a bedbug-infested cell with inadequate food and water.
“The embassy has met with Greta,” the email reads. “She reported dehydration, very limited food and water, and rashes likely caused by bedbugs. She described harsh treatment, sitting for hours on hard surfaces.”
The email also mentioned that another detainee had seen Thunberg “being forced to hold flags while photographs were taken” and questioned whether the images had been circulated.
Two other members of the flotilla confirmed these claims after being released on Saturday.
“They dragged little Greta by the hair, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag — all to send a message,” said Turkish activist Ersin Çelik, who participated in the Sumud flotilla, speaking to Anadolu news agency.
Lorenzo D’Agostino, a journalist who was also aboard, said after arriving in Istanbul that Thunberg had been “wrapped in the Israeli flag and paraded like a trophy,” describing the scene as both shocking and humiliating.
Thunberg was one of 437 activists, politicians, and lawyers aboard the Global Sumud flotilla — a coalition of more than 40 boats carrying humanitarian supplies and attempting to challenge Israel’s 16-year naval blockade of Gaza.
Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla between Thursday and Friday, detaining every passenger. Most are being held at the high-security Ketziot prison in the Negev desert, typically used for Palestinian security prisoners accused of militant activity.
In previous cases, detained activists were not charged but treated as immigration violators and deported.
Lawyers from the NGO Adalah said detainees’ rights were being “systematically violated,” claiming they were denied water, medical care, sanitation, and access to attorneys — in “clear breach of due process and basic human rights.”
An Italian legal team representing the flotilla confirmed that detainees went “hours without food or water,” except for “a packet of crisps given to Greta for the cameras.” They also reported instances of verbal and physical abuse.
During a visit to Ashdod port on Thursday night, far-right Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was filmed calling the detainees “terrorists” while standing before them. His office later confirmed the footage. Some activists were heard shouting, “Free Palestine.”
Ben-Gvir has previously demanded that such activists be imprisoned instead of deported.
The flotilla’s legal team expressed concern about the detainees’ safety, particularly repeat participants who had previously been arrested trying to reach Gaza. This marks the second time Thunberg has been detained during such a mission.
French doctor Baptiste André, who sailed in a previous flotilla in June, said Israeli border agents “mocked and deprived passengers of sleep,” singling out Thunberg for mistreatment.
According to the Swedish official’s email, Thunberg was also asked by Israeli authorities to sign a document she didn’t understand. “She refused to sign anything unclear,” the message states, adding that she has access to legal counsel.
Adalah said Israeli authorities generally treat returning flotilla participants the same as newcomers, detaining them briefly before deportation.
The Guardian reached out to the Israel Prison Service, the Israel Defense Forces, and the foreign ministry, but none responded.
Sweden’s foreign ministry said its embassy had met with nine detained Swedes: “The embassy in Tel Aviv continues to press Israeli authorities for swift processing and medical care. We have stressed the immediate need for clean water, food, and access to legal counsel.”
Israel’s embassy, however, dismissed all allegations as “complete lies.” It said: “All detainees from the Hamas-Sumud provocation were given water, food, and medical care, as well as full legal rights. Israel remains a state governed by law and committed to upholding human dignity and international standards.”