Greta Thunberg 'Dragged, Forced To Kiss Israel Flag': Activists Allege Mistreatment During Detention

Activist Greta Thunberg has undergone a horrific ordeal under Israeli detention after the flotilla she and others were on, en route to Gaza, was intercepted by the Jewish forces recently. Though the reports earlier claimed the activists were safe, it is revealed that they were subjected to humiliating torture by Israel after the flotilla arrived Turkey.

A total of 137 activists were detained by Israel for taking part in a flotilla seeking to deliver aid to Gaza. The revelation about the horrifying experience came to light after the fleet reached Turkey after Israel deported the activists.

Read Also: Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg Hit By Suspected Drone, Organisers Accuse Israel

Reports say that Hazwani Helmi, a Malaysian citizen, and Windfield Beaver, an American citizen, said that Thunberg had been mistreated by Israeli troops. Other activists were also mistreated during their detention by Israel, reports Al Jazeera.

Helmi recalled that the detention was a disaster as they were treated like animals. The activist recalled how Thunberg was pushed into a room when Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir arrived. Turkish journalist Ersin Celik also echoed a similar experience, saying Israeli forces ‘tortured’ Greta Thunberg and that she was ‘dragged on the ground’ and ‘forced to kiss the Israeli flag’.

Read Also: Greta Thunberg Safe After Israeli Navy Intercepts Gaza-Bound Flotilla

Turkish TV presenter Ikbal Gurpinar, said that the activist was humiliated and wrapped in an Israeli flag and exhibited like a trophy. ‘They treated us like dogs. They left us hungry for three days. They didn’t give us water; we had to drink from the toilet … It was a terribly hot day, and we were all roasting,” Al Jazeera quoted the reporter.

However, Israel has not responded to the allegations of abuse by the activists. But the country’s  foreign ministry earlier discarded the reports that detainees were mistreated as lies.