Jerusalem: Environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel on Tuesday, a day after the Israeli navy intercepted the Gaza-bound aid vessel she was aboard, according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

Thunberg, who is known for her opposition to air travel, was flown to France before continuing on to Sweden, officials said in a post on X. The post included a photograph of her seated on a flight.

Thunberg was one of 12 people aboard the Madleen, a ship organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The vessel was part of a mission aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and draw attention to the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.

The ship was seized without incident by Israeli naval forces approximately 200 kilometres off Gaza’s coast, the coalition said. Human rights groups and the organisers argue that the interception in international waters violates international law. Israel, however, contends that its naval blockade of Gaza is legal and that the ship’s objective was to breach it.

The Madleen, escorted by Israeli navy vessels, docked in the port city of Ashdod on Monday evening.

Israeli legal rights group Adalah, representing the detained activists, confirmed that Thunberg, two other activists, and a journalist agreed to be deported. Eight others refused and were held in detention pending hearings by Israeli authorities.

According to Israel’s Interior Ministry spokesperson Sabine Haddad, the deportees waived their right to appear before a judge. The remaining detainees, who declined deportation, would be held for 96 hours before a court hearing.

Among the passengers was French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, who is of Palestinian heritage and has previously been barred from entering Israel due to her criticism of Israeli policies. Her status—whether deported or detained—remained unclear as of Tuesday.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that one French detainee signed an expulsion order and was set to return to France. Five others refused deportation but received consular assistance.

Adalah stated that the ship was in international waters and was bound for what it termed the “territorial waters of the state of Palestine,” asserting that Israel had no legal authority to intercept the vessel. Amnesty International echoed this stance, accusing Israel of breaching international law and calling for the immediate, unconditional release of the activists.

Israel dismissed the flotilla as a publicity stunt and labelled the boat the “selfie yacht,” claiming it carried less than a single truckload of aid.