Greta Thunberg has rejected accusations of antisemitism as she embarks on her second flotilla to Gaza.
The 22-year-old and other activists are setting sail on the largest flotilla to Gaza on Sunday, despite having been detained by Israeli forces and deported when they approached on a British-flagged yacht in June.
Israel later accused the group of activists of being antisemitic – an accusation Thunberg rejects.
“It is not antisemitic to say that we should not be bombing people, that one should not be living in occupation, that everyone should have the right to live in freedom and dignity, no matter who you are,” she told Sky News’ Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins.
Before the dozens of boats carrying aid embarks from Spain, the activists called on governments to pressure Israel to allow their flotilla through the naval blockade.
Israel imposed the blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007 and has scuppered numerous attempts to reach Gaza since, including a 2010 boarding by its special forces in which at least nine Turkish activists were killed.
But Thunberg brushed concerns about the dangers of the trip aside, saying she was instead worried about the “silence of the world” in light of what is happening in Gaza.
“I’m terrified to see that we seem to have lost all the humanity that we have, and there seems to be no compassion left in the world amongst the vast majority of people who are able to sit on the couch and watch the genocide unfold that I am terrified for,” she added.
Israel has repeatedly denied claims of genocide and previously described the first ship, Madlene, as “the selfie yacht”, dismissing the aid ship as a propaganda stunt in support of Hamas.
In a statement to Sky News, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said: “The IDF enforces the security naval blockade on the Gaza Strip and is prepared for a wide range of scenarios, which it will act upon in accordance with the directives of the political echelon.”
Thunberg said: “It’s important that by doing so, by continuing this blockade, Israel is violating international law. And what we are trying to do is to use our rights to sail on international waters and to deliver humanitarian aid, which Israel is not allowed to block from coming in.”
The naval blockade has remained in place through conflicts, including the current war, which began when Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed almost 63,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry – while parts of the Strip is suffering from famine, according to a global hunger monitor.
In March, Israel also sealed off Gaza by land, not letting in supplies for three months, claiming Hamas was diverting aid.
Thunberg said her message to Hamas would be that she does “not stand behind killing civilians”.
“But we translate that into reality and we’re seeing how many hundreds of thousands of people are dying in Gaza now, how many hundreds of thousands of people have been deprived [of] their dignity and justice and freedom by Israel,” she added.
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The IDF said in its statement: “Israel allows and facilitates the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the war, over two million tons of aid have been delivered to Gaza – approximately one ton of aid per person on average.
“The last few months 9,000 aid trucks have entered through land crossings, as publicly reported.
“In recent weeks, approximately 300 aid trucks have entered daily, primarily carrying food, medical supplies, hygiene products, and other essential items according to needs identified by international organisations and the UN. Israel does not impose quantitative limits on aid trucks entering Gaza.
“Several significant measures have been implemented to expand aid volume and facilitate collection by the UN and international organisations. Recent data on aid deliveries demonstrates Israel’s commitment to facilitating humanitarian assistance to Gaza.”
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Thunberg, who is among hundreds of people from 44 countries on the flotilla, hopes their mission will bring symbolic aid and help open up a humanitarian corridor to deliver more aid.
She said the activists’ goal is to send “hope and solidarity to the people of Gaza, showing a clear signal that the world has not forgotten about you”.
