By Maira Butt
Copyright independent
Greta Thunberg is to be deported after her aid vessel was intercepted by the Israeli military as it neared the besieged Gaza Strip, Israeli officials have said.
The Israeli foreign ministry said that every vessel had been stopped from reaching the Strip in a statement on Thursday.
“All the passengers are safe and in good health,” it said. “They are making their way safely to Israel, from where they will be deported to Europe.”
One vessel appears to be lagging behind at a distance, Israel warned: “If it approaches, its attempt to enter an active combat zone and breach the blockade will also be prevented.”
The move to intercept the Global Sumud Flotilla has sparked backlash from the international community, with Turkey’s foreign ministry calling Israel’s interception “an act of terror”.
Nearly 500 activists, including Thunberg, were sailing on around 44 boats carrying aid through the Mediterranean Sea for more than a month, looking to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza as the enclave remained in the grip of widespread hunger.
