AhlulBayt News Agency: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has revealed that she was subjected to beatings, threats, humiliation, and dehydration by Israeli prison guards after being detained during a humanitarian aid flotilla mission.
In an interview published Wednesday by Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, Thunberg recounted the traumatic five days she spent in Israeli custody after being seized from the Global Samud Flotilla earlier this month.
She described brutal treatment by guards, including beatings, kicking, and threats of being gassed while confined in cages.
Thunberg recalled being dragged to a fenced area with iron bars, where she was kicked and hit while an Israeli flag brushed against her. Her frog hat was torn off, stomped on, and she was insulted in Swedish.
She gave a detailed account of the physical and verbal abuse, saying guards mocked her and used degrading Swedish phrases repeatedly.
Thunberg initially hesitated to speak about her experience, fearing it would distract from the suffering of Palestinians.
“This is not about me or the flotilla members,” she told Aftonbladet. “Thousands of Palestinians, including hundreds of children, are being held without trial, and many are likely being tortured.”
The flotilla aimed to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza, which continues to restrict essential food and medical supplies.
The confrontation began when armed, masked Israeli soldiers boarded the flotilla vessels.
Thunberg described being forced to sit in a circle under intense heat while guards discarded aid supplies, including medicine and food.
She said the activists begged for water, eventually screaming for help, while guards mocked them by flaunting water bottles.
The detainees were later taken to Ashdod, where Thunberg said the abuse worsened.
She was forced to remove her “Free Palestine” T-shirt.
Thunberg also reported being threatened by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who accused the activists of terrorism and inciting violence.
Guards reportedly forced detainees to kneel or stand for hours in extreme heat, confined them in overcrowded cells, and provided minimal food and water. Some were made to drink discolored tap water, resulting in illness.
Thunberg said guards threatened to gas prisoners, holding up cylinders and pretending to activate them.
She described the guards as devoid of empathy, violently discarding vital medications including heart, cancer, and insulin treatments.
She also noted bullet holes and bloodstains on prison walls, along with messages carved by previous Palestinian detainees.
Thunberg emphasized that her experience was minor compared to the suffering endured by Palestinians, urging the world to focus on their plight.
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