Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel on Tuesday following the interception of a vessel she and other activists were aboard while attempting to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

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Israeli naval forces seized the boat, named Madleen, on Monday approximately 125 miles off the coast of Gaza.

The Madleen was part of an effort organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to deliver what the group described as humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

According to Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the boat was escorted to the port of Ashdod by the Israeli Navy later that day.

Israeli authorities maintain that such flotillas violate its legal blockade of Gaza, which it says is necessary for national security.

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A photo released by Israel’s Foreign Ministry showed Thunberg seated on an airplane returning to Sweden.

The 22-year-old activist was deported along with two other activists and a journalist, all of whom agreed to voluntarily leave the country, according to Adalah, an Israeli legal rights group representing the individuals.

Other activists who declined voluntary deportation remained in custody, and their cases are pending before Israeli authorities.

Thunberg, who has long been associated with climate activism, drew criticism on social media after traveling to the region by ship only to be flown back by plane—a method of transport she has publicly criticized due to its carbon emissions.

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The photograph of her onboard the return flight drew mockery online.

One user on X commented, “She looks happy for polluting the climate.”

Another wrote, “Polluting the climate all the way back home.”

Prior to her deportation, Thunberg posted claims that she and the others aboard the vessel had been “kidnapped” by Israeli Defense Forces when the vessel was intercepted. Israeli authorities rejected this characterization, stating that the vessel was in violation of the naval blockade and that the interdiction was carried out in accordance with international law.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry referred to the intercepted boat as the “selfie yacht” in a post on social media, stating, “The ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ is safely making its way to the shores of Israel.”

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The Ministry characterized the mission as a public relations stunt.

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Public reaction to the deportation and interception varied. Some social media users praised the Israeli government for stopping what they viewed as a potentially destabilizing situation.

One commenter wrote, “Well done Israel. Stopped the activists from entering a blockade, a conflict zone.

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Prevented the activists from being kidnapped by Islamic terrorists. Stopped WW3 & protected life.”

Another added, “If the Islamic terrorists who control the area had kidnapped these activists it could have triggered WW3. Therefore the activists put us all at risk. Unforgivable.”

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has conducted similar efforts in the past, aiming to draw international attention to the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Israel maintains the naval blockade is necessary to prevent weapons and materials from reaching militant groups operating in the region.

Thunberg and the other deported individuals have returned to their countries of origin.

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