Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has reportedly told Swedish officials that she was subjected to harsh and degrading treatment while being held in Israeli custody following her detention from a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza, according to documents obtained by The Guardian.
In correspondence shared by the Swedish foreign ministry, an embassy official who visited Thunberg in prison reported that she described being kept in a cell infested with bedbugs, suffering from dehydration, and receiving insufficient food and water. Thunberg also said she developed rashes, which she believed were caused by insect bites, and that she was forced to sit for long periods on hard surfaces.
“She informed of dehydration. She has received insufficient amounts of both water and food. She also stated that she had developed rashes which she suspects were caused by bedbugs,” the Swedish embassy’s email read.
Another detainee reportedly told embassy officials that Thunberg had been forced to hold flags while being photographed by Israeli authorities. The flags’ identities remain unclear, but at least two other flotilla members released on Saturday confirmed similar accounts.
Turkish activist Ersin Çelik, who participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla, told Anadolu Agency that Israeli forces “dragged little Greta by her hair, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag.” Journalist Lorenzo D’Agostino also alleged that Thunberg was “wrapped in the Israeli flag and paraded like a trophy.”
Thunberg was one of 437 activists, parliamentarians, and lawyers aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla — a coalition of over 40 vessels carrying humanitarian aid that sought to challenge Israel’s 16-year maritime blockade on Gaza. Between Thursday and Friday, Israeli forces intercepted all the boats and detained every crew member.
Most detainees are being held at Ketziot Prison (Ansar III) in the Negev Desert — a high-security facility primarily used for Palestinian prisoners. According to the human rights group Adalah, detainees have been denied basic necessities, such as water, medication, and legal access, in violation of international human rights law.
An Italian legal team representing the flotilla said detainees were kept for hours without food or water, except for “a packet of crisps handed to Greta and shown to cameras.” Lawyers also alleged verbal and physical abuse during interrogations.
Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir appeared at Ashdod port on Thursday night, where the detained activists were being held. In a video later released, he called the participants “terrorists,” saying, “These are the terrorists of the flotilla,” as he pointed toward the group. His spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of the footage.
This is Thunberg’s second detention by Israeli forces this year following a similar flotilla attempt earlier in 2025. Activists from the previous mission were detained and later deported without criminal charges.
Swedish diplomats confirmed that Thunberg had access to legal counsel and that she had refused to sign documents presented by Israeli authorities because she did not understand their content.
“She expressed uncertainty about what the document meant and did not want to sign anything she did not understand,” the Swedish official’s email stated.
The Israeli embassy, however, dismissed all allegations as “complete lies.”
“All detainees from the Hamas–Sumud provocation were given access to water, food, and toilets. They were not denied legal counsel, and all their rights, including medical care, were fully upheld,” the embassy said. “Israel is and will remain a state governed by the rule of law, committed to upholding the rights and dignity of all individuals in accordance with international standards.”
The Swedish foreign ministry said its embassy continues to monitor the situation and has urged Israeli authorities to ensure humane treatment and swift processing for all detained Swedes, emphasizing the need for adequate food, clean water, and medical attention.
Meanwhile, human rights advocates and supporters of the flotilla are calling for Thunberg’s immediate release, condemning what they describe as the political targeting of peaceful activists attempting to deliver aid to Gaza.
