Protests erupt worldwide after Israel detains Greta Thunberg on Gaza aid flotilla

Mass protests have erupted across the globe following Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla and the detention of climate activist Greta Thunberg alongside dozens of other humanitarians bound for Gaza.

The flotilla, made up of more than forty vessels carrying desperately needed food and medical supplies to the besieged enclave, was seized by Israeli naval forces yesterday in international waters off the Gaza coast. The mission was strictly humanitarian, designed to break through a nearly twenty years of blockade that has left parts of Gaza experiencing famine. Israel has confirmed it is deporting the detainees, including Thunberg, to Europe.

Read: More than a boat: The Gaza Flotilla as a symbol of a growing global movement

The reaction to the interception has been swift and visceral. In Italy, rail lines were blocked and students occupied university buildings, while in Spain thousands marched on the Israeli consulate in Barcelona.

Demonstrations also erupted across Latin America, with major protests reported in Colombia and Argentina. In Geneva and Paris, crowds clashed with police outside UN offices, and in London, hundreds gathered outside government buildings to demand Thunberg’s release.

Observers compared the scenes to the mass outcry over Israel’s deadly raid on the Mavi Marmara in 2010, noting that the high-profile seizure of Thunberg had galvanised an even wider base of support.

Leaders around the world have condemned Israel’s actions. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa described the interception as a “grave offence” against global solidarity and called for the immediate release of all detainees, including liberation hero Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela.

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro warned that if the reports were accurate, “there is a new international crime by Netanyahu.” Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Israel had shown “utter contempt” for the rights of the Palestinian people and for “the conscience of the world” by blocking a humanitarian mission carrying 23 Malaysian nationals. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced what he called a “dastardly attack” on the flotilla and demanded that humanitarian aid be allowed to reach Gaza without obstruction.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the interception as a flagrant violation of international law, stressing that Israel had “neither authority nor sovereignty over Palestinian territorial waters.” Human rights lawyers echoed the charge, warning that the seizure of the vessels in international waters could constitute piracy and unlawful detention.

Even Israel’s closest allies have expressed unease. The British Foreign Office said it was “very concerned” about the situation and insisted that the flotilla’s cargo should be handed over to humanitarian organisations to be delivered safely into Gaza, while stressing that Israel bears ultimate responsibility for the “atrocious” humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

The interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla comes amid an intensifying humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. More than 68,000 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children, have been killed since October 2023, and the UN has confirmed famine conditions in the Strip.