bp Greta Thunberg claims she’s suffering from dehydration in detention — says she hasn’t received enough food or water”
Celebrity climate activist Greta Thunberg has reportedly described “heinous conditions” inside a bedbug-infested Israeli holding cell, following her arrest as part of an aid flotilla attempting to reach Gaza.
According to an email from Sweden’s Foreign Ministry, shared with The Guardian, the 22-year-old activist told Swedish officials she had been suffering from dehydration, exhaustion, and a lack of food and clean water while in custody.
“She also stated that she had developed rashes, which she suspects were caused by bedbugs,” the email read. “She spoke of harsh treatment and said she had been sitting for long periods on hard surfaces.”
Sources say Thunberg appeared visibly tired but determined when Swedish diplomats met with her earlier this week in Israel. She allegedly told them she had been forced to pose for photographs holding unidentified flags, which she feared may have been circulated to the media without her consent.
The incident occurred after Israeli authorities intercepted a 40-boat flotilla, part of the Global Sumud campaign aimed at breaking Israel’s blockade on Gaza. Thunberg was reportedly aboard one of the lead vessels, waving a Palestinian flag as it neared interception.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the flotilla, calling it “a de-legitimization campaign against Israel.” Defense Minister Israel Katz went further, labeling it “a Hamas terrorist operation.”
Other activists detained alongside Thunberg have made even more disturbing claims.
Turkish participant Ersin Çelik told Anadolu News that Israeli officers “dragged little Greta by her hair before our eyes, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag.”
Italian journalist Lorenzo D’Agostino added that Thunberg was “wrapped in the Israeli flag and paraded like a trophy.”
A total of nine Swedish nationals were detained as part of the flotilla operation. In response, Sweden’s embassy in Tel Aviv has pressed Israeli authorities to ensure adequate food, water, and legal access for the detainees, while calling for their swift release and safe return home.
Meanwhile, Thunberg’s detention has already ignited international outrage, with protests breaking out across multiple countries. Some governments, including Colombia and Turkey, have taken diplomatic action — Colombia even cutting trade ties and expelling Israel’s diplomats in response to what it called “gross mistreatment of humanitarian participants.”
Thunberg, known for her outspoken activism and fearless criticism of global powers, has yet to issue a direct statement from custody — but her supporters worldwide are demanding her release, calling the situation “a humanitarian disgrace.”
