French doctor says Israeli authorities were ‘abusive’ to Greta Thunberg

Israeli authorities were abusive toward passengers of the humanitarian aid boat intercepted on its way to Gaza, which had on board Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, a French doctor has alleged.

Baptiste André, who was on the boat, told reporters upon his return to France that while there were no acts of physical violence, he witnessed Israeli border agents mock and deliberately deprive passengers of sleep, in particular Thunberg.

As soon as someone fell asleep, agents would turn up the music and dance, André claimed.

Detainees also had difficulty accessing food and water, he said. 

Thunberg was one of 12 passengers aboard the Madleen, a boat organized by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition that departed Italy on June 1 to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. Israeli naval forces intercepted the vessel early Monday, approximately 200 kilometers off the Gaza coast, and detained its crew members. 

“I don’t have the legal qualifications to specify what happened, but there were acts of mistreatment,” André said Tuesday. 

Four passengers of the boat, including Thunberg and André, agreed to sign deportation documents and return home by Tuesday evening, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The rest of the crew, including French MEP Rima Hassan, remains in Israeli custody awaiting a court hearing.  

In a pre-recorded video posted on Monday, Thunberg said her group had been “intercepted and kidnapped” by Israel and called on the Swedish government to put pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Thunberg said the voyage was a peaceful protest against Israel’s blockade of Gaza and the worsening humanitarian crisis.

The Israeli government, however, said the mission was a breach of its naval blockade and dismissed the operation as a publicity stunt, branding the vessel a “selfie yacht.”