Greta Thunberg Detained by Israeli Authorities After Gaza Flotilla Interception

"...slammed far right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir..."

"...accusing him of endorsing 'inhumane treatment, abuse, and intimidation'..."

"...Ben Gvir said during the course of the day that he was 'proud' of the way the Israel Prison Service (IPS) was treating the activists..."

"...including for climate and pro-Palestinian activist Thunberg who is reportedly being kept in a cell with bed bugs and denied adequate food and water..."

"...Officials in the Swedish embassy who met with Thunberg, reported that she was suffering from bedbugs in her cell, a lack of food and water, and had been forced to stand in front of Israeli flags while she was videoed..."

"...Despite denials by the foreign ministry, the organization said that flotilla activists have said in their testimonies to lawyers that they have been denied essential medical treatment and medicine; that the provision of food and water provisions is 'grossly inadequate'; and that the detainees are being held in overcrowded and sometimes insanitary cells..."

"...Other flotilla activists have told the lawyers that they were subjected to physical violence, while still others said they were blindfolded and handcuffed for prolonged periods..."

"...Similar accounts have emerged from activists who spoke to the media after having been deported..."

"...Unlike Ben Gvir who publicly lauded the harsh conditions he said he had imposed on the flotilla activists, the Foreign Ministry said that claims Israel was mistreating Thunberg and other detained activists were 'brazen lies'..."

"...Earlier on Sunday, Ben Gvir said he was 'proud' of the way the Israel Prisoner Service (IPS) is holding activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla in harsh conditions in Ketziot Prison, as he instructed..."

"...'I was there, on their boats, I didn’t see aid and I didn’t see humanitarian. I saw one [can of] Materna [baby formula] and an entire wild party of people who were dressing up as human rights activists, but who in practice came to support terrorism and to celebrate [at our expense],' said Ben Gvir..."

"...'I went to visit Ketziot Prison and I was proud that we are treating the 'flotilla activists' as terror supporters, whoever supports terrorism is a terrorist, and deserves the conditions of terrorists… It is worthwhile for them to experience the conditions in Ketziot Prison, and think twice before they come close to Israel again. That’s how it works.'..."

"...Adalah condemned Ben Gvir’s comments, noting that there have been numerous, substantiated reports of severe physical and psychological abuse of Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli prisons, the conditions of whom are the same as those for the flotilla activists according to the minister..."

"...'This conduct, explicitly endorsed by the minister with authority over the IPS, demonstrates a deliberate use of repression against peaceful activists, human rights defenders, and individuals who seek to confront Israel’s ongoing crimes against Palestinians.'..."