Greta Thunberg, a Swedish activist, was arrested after joining the Global Sumud Flotilla, a mission to bring aid to Gaza that was stopped by Israeli forces in international waters. The raid led to protests around the world, diplomats being kicked out of Israel, and legal fights over the blockade. Activists said it was a peaceful humanitarian effort.
Greta Thunberg, a Swedish climate activist, has been arrested at sea over and over after being part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian-led mission trying to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.
The Israeli Navy stopped more than 40 boats carrying almost 500 activists from 44 countries in international waters. The operation has led to huge protests, diplomats being sent home, and heated legal arguments about whether Israel’s actions were right.
The Global Sumud Flotilla and Greta Thunberg
The flotilla started in Barcelona in late August 2025 and grew to almost 50 ships as ships from Tunisia and Italy joined. Its goal was twofold: to bring small amounts of food, water, and medicine to Gaza and to show how the blockade affects people.
Greta Thunberg, Sydney content creator Abubakir Rafiq, Hobart scientist Julia Henry, French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan, and Mandla Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s grandson, were some of the most well-known people there. The organizers said it was the biggest protest by civilians at sea against the blockade so far.
Drone Harassment and Jamming of Communications
Flotilla boats said in September that they were being harassed by drones, sonar bombs, and jamming of communications. Israeli drones are said to have blasted ABBA songs and Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” over radios before dropping sound and smoke bombs.
The Spectre, which was carrying Abubakir Rafiq, was hit three times. Rafiq said, “Thank God no one was hurt or killed.”
Greta Thunberg spoke out against the threats, saying, “Palestinians live with drones all the time.” We won’t be stopped by threats.
Juliet Lamont, an Australian filmmaker, said the night was surreal: “It was like hundreds of fireflies above… exploding into the sails with meteoric blasts.” It was real, but it felt like a war movie.
Greta Thunberg One of the First to Be Arrested
About 20 Israeli naval ships with their transponders turned off surrounded the flotilla about 75 miles off the coast of Gaza on October 1, 2025.
The Alma was one of the first ships to be boarded. Greta Thunberg was on board. The Israeli government released video of her sitting on deck next to masked and armed IDF soldiers.
Other ships were also stopped:
- Florida was hit on purpose.
- Water cannons hit Yulara and Meteque hard.
- Warships with bright lights surrounded Adara and told everyone on board to raise their hands in surrender.
- People boarded Sirius after similar harassment.
- Greg Stoker, an activist, said that the navy told them, “Turn off your engines and wait for more instructions or face the consequences.”
- Activists streamed live video of themselves holding up passports and saying they were being “abducted and taken to Israel against our will.”
Later, Israeli news outlets said that some of the flotilla’s ships might be towed to Ashdod or even sunk if they kept fighting.
Australians Share Their Story
There were six Australians on board:
- Dr. Bianca Webb-Pullman sent her mother a last text that said, “Don’t worry, it was still 100% worth it.” Later, Julie, her mother, said that boats had “stopped moving on the tracker” after communications were cut off. She also said, “No parent wants to see their child die … if this government doesn’t act, I will never forgive them.”
- Juliet Lamont first called the standoff “bizarre and surreal,” and then she said it felt like being “swarmed and sprayed in a war movie.”
- Surya McEwen, who is from New South Wales, said, “The chance to feed hungry kids is the test of our generation.” People will ask what we did in this moment for years to come.
- Abubakir Rafiq filmed drone strikes on his boat and then later was said to have been kidnapped.
- Others, like Hamish Paterson, were on smaller boats.
- “We are working with Israeli authorities and will offer consular help,” a DFAT spokesperson said.
Why Israel Said the Raid Was Okay
Israel called the convoy the “Hamas-Sumud flotilla” and said it had found papers in Gaza that linked the organizers to Hamas. Officials said these claims were similar to Hamas communications, but they couldn’t be checked on their own.
The Foreign Ministry said that the blockade is legal and necessary from a military point of view to stop weapons smuggling. It offered to send the help through the port of Ashdod or through Cypriot middlemen, but the organizers said no.
Ambassador Jonathan Peled said, “They don’t want to help; they want an incident.”
The arrest of Greta Thunberg as a symbol
Greta Thunberg was arrested for the second time in 2025. In June, she was taken off another ship headed for Gaza, given a medical exam, sent back to her home country, and given sandwiches and water bottles.
When she got out, she said that Israel had “illegally kidnapped us in international waters.”
Her repeated arrests made her the most well-known person on the flotilla and a symbol of the world’s support for Gaza.
Read More : Greta Thunberg Dragged Off Gaza Aid Flotilla After Israeli ‘Attack’
Protests and problems with diplomacy around the world
The raid led to huge protests all over Europe and beyond:
- Rome: about 10,000 people marched and chanted, “Let’s block everything.” Authorities closed down metro stations.
- In Bologna, thousands of people came together with flags and banners.
- Rallies in Milan, Turin, Genoa, Naples, and Pisa stopped trains.
- Solidarity protests in Athens, Brussels, Berlin, and Buenos Aires.
- Unions in Argentina and Italy called for a general strike.
Governments also did something:
- Turkey called the raid “an act of terrorism in international waters.”
- Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s Prime Minister, said, “It is a humanitarian mission that poses no danger to Israel.”
- At the UN General Assembly in New York, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the flotilla could hurt Donald Trump’s plan for peace in Gaza.
- Oscar Lopez, Spain’s Digital Transformation Minister, told the flotilla not to go into Israel’s 150-nautical-mile exclusion zone.
- Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s prime minister, called Israel’s actions against unarmed civilians intimidation and promised to hold them accountable.
- Colombia kicked out all Israeli diplomats.
- Ireland said the flotilla was peaceful and needed.
- South Africa asked for “the most restraint.”
- Drieza Lininding, a Filipino activist, said he cried when he saw the interception online. He said it was sad that “the world is just watching.”
The International Law Debate and Greta Thunberg
The interception brought up legal issues again:
- According to UNCLOS, countries have power over waters up to 12 nautical miles from shore. More than 70 miles out, the flotilla was stopped.
- Yuval Shany from Hebrew University said that interception is legal if the blockade is militarily justified.
- Omer Shatz from Sciences Po in Paris said, “International law makes a humanitarian road from the high seas to Gaza, both in international and national waters off Gaza.”
- Activists said that Israel’s actions were illegal and amounted to collective punishment, while Israel said they were legal security measures.
Australia’s Political Response
Matt Thistlethwaite, the Assistant Foreign Minister, said, “Australia calls on all parties to follow international law and international humanitarian law and not do anything illegal or violent against the flotilla.” He also said that Australia was very worried about the safety of its people.
Sarah Hanson-Young, a senator from the Greens, praised the flotilla’s “bravery,” called Israel’s blockade part of a “genocide in Gaza,” and asked for a ceasefire and humanitarian corridors. She also wanted Hamas to free the hostages they were holding.
Greta Thunberg’s arrest as a global flashpoint
The arrest of Greta Thunberg turned the Gaza flotilla into one of the most well-known protests by civilians this year.
Israel said it was necessary to enforce a legal blockade. Activists and their supporters said it was a peaceful humanitarian mission that was made illegal by international law.
Even though a lot of boats were stopped, others kept going to Gaza. This made the flotilla get a lot of attention around the world, which led to big protests, diplomatic problems, and legal fights.
FAQ’S
What is Greta Thunberg famous for?
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish climate activist who is best known for starting the “Fridays for Future” school strike, which inspired young people all over the world to fight climate change.
What is Greta Thunberg’s diagnosis?
She has been diagnosed with OCD, selective mutism, and Asperger’s syndrome.
What happened to Greta when she was 11?
Greta stopped talking for almost a year after learning about climate change when she was 11. She also had trouble with eating disorders.
What has Greta Thunberg done to help the environment?
She started school strikes for climate change, spoke to the UN and world leaders, wrote books, and got millions of people around the world to call for immediate action on climate change.
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