Greta Thunberg, the activist, was deported from Israel, condemning the "war crimes" in Gaza.

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel on Tuesday, a day after the Israeli navy prevented her and a group of other pro-Palestinian activists from sailing to Gaza. The Israeli forces seized the small humanitarian aid ship that was attempting to breach the long-standing naval blockade of Gaza, and the 12-member crew was brought to Israel.

Four of the group, including Thunberg, agreed to immediate deportation, while the other eight contested the repatriation order. They are being held near the airport in Tel Aviv, awaiting a court decision on their legal status.

"We were 12 peaceful volunteers sailing on a civilian ship with humanitarian aid in international waters. We did not violate any laws. We did nothing wrong," Thunberg told reporters after arriving in Paris, accusing Israel of kidnapping her.

"There is an ongoing violation of international law and war crimes that Israel systematically commits against the Palestinians, not allowing aid to reach the starving people," said the 22-year-old Swede.

Israel has imposed a strict land, air, and sea blockade on Gaza, claiming that the blockade is necessary to prevent the delivery of weapons to Hamas fighters. It allows limited food supplies, which are mainly distributed by a private group supported by it.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry dismissed the sea mission to Gaza as a Hamas public stunt. "Greta and her friends brought a little aid on their star yacht. It didn't help the people in Gaza. It was nothing more than a ridiculous scam," Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters on Tuesday.

Thunberg defended the aid efforts organized by the pro-Palestinian "Free Flotilla Coalition" group, stating that a larger ship capable of carrying a larger cargo was deactivated last month in the Mediterranean Sea by drones, presumably operated by Israel.

She also mocked the criticism from US President Donald Trump, who had described her as an angry person, saying: "I think the world needs a lot more angry young women, especially with everything that's going on right now."

Thunberg travels mainly by train and has long avoided airplanes due to their significant carbon footprint. In 2019, she crossed the Atlantic Ocean by boat to attend a climate forum.

Israel has imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007. It significantly tightened its grip after a Hamas attack in October 2023, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages were taken, according to Israeli data. Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas since then has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health services, and turned much of the territory into a wasteland.

In March, Israel imposed a complete blockade on all supplies reaching Gaza, which experts say has brought the population of over 2 million to the brink of starvation.

Over the past two weeks, Israel has allowed limited food deliveries, mainly distributed by the new pro-Israel group. Israel claims this step is necessary to prevent the aid from being diverted by Hamas. Hamas denies stealing aid.