Thunberg and fellow campaigners were detained and deported by Israeli forces in June when they approached Gaza on a British-flagged yacht…reports Asian Lite News
Greta Thunberg has rejected accusations of antisemitism as she embarks on her second flotilla to Gaza, insisting her campaign is about defending human rights and opposing violence against civilians.
The 22-year-old Swedish climate activist and dozens of others are setting sail on Sunday aboard the largest flotilla to Gaza to date. The convoy of aid boats is departing from Spain, despite Israel’s warnings and past crackdowns on similar efforts.
Thunberg and fellow campaigners were detained and deported by Israeli forces in June when they approached Gaza on a British-flagged yacht. Israel later accused the group of antisemitism — an allegation Thunberg firmly denied in an interview with Sky News’ Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins.
“It is not antisemitic to say that we should not be bombing people, that one should not be living in occupation, that everyone should have the right to live in freedom and dignity, no matter who you are,” she said.
The flotilla aims to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has been under a naval blockade since 2007, when Hamas seized control of the coastal enclave. Israel insists the blockade is necessary to prevent weapons smuggling, but critics, including Thunberg, say it constitutes a violation of international law.
“By continuing this blockade, Israel is violating international law,” she argued. “What we are trying to do is to use our rights to sail in international waters and to deliver humanitarian aid, which Israel is not allowed to block from coming in.”
The blockade has been repeatedly enforced through conflicts, including the current war, which erupted after Hamas fighters launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. The assault killed more than 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has since killed almost 63,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, though Israel disputes those figures. Large parts of Gaza are facing famine, according to international monitors — another charge Israel denies.
In March, Israel also sealed Gaza’s land crossings for three months, blocking supplies while claiming Hamas was diverting aid. The crisis has intensified scrutiny of the humanitarian situation, fuelling global calls for a ceasefire.
Brushing aside concerns for her own safety, Thunberg said her greater fear was the “silence of the world.”
“I’m terrified to see that we seem to have lost all the humanity that we have, and there seems to be no compassion left amongst the vast majority of people who are able to sit on the couch and watch the genocide unfold,” she said. Israel has repeatedly denied accusations of genocide, describing such claims as baseless propaganda.
Israel also dismissed Thunberg’s earlier voyage, calling the vessel Madleen “the selfie yacht” and accusing its organisers of running a stunt in support of Hamas.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) reiterated in a statement that it “enforces the security naval blockade on the Gaza Strip” and is prepared for “a wide range of scenarios.” It added that Israel facilitates humanitarian assistance, citing more than two million tons of aid delivered since the war began.
“In recent weeks, approximately 300 aid trucks have entered daily, primarily carrying food, medical supplies, hygiene products, and other essentials,” the IDF said. “Israel does not impose quantitative limits on aid trucks entering Gaza.”
Asked about Hamas, which still holds 48 hostages, around 20 of whom Israel believes are alive, Thunberg stressed that she does “not stand behind killing civilians.” But, she added, “we’re seeing how hundreds of thousands of people are dying in Gaza now, how many have been deprived of dignity, justice and freedom by Israel.”
