BBC:
Israel has deported Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and 170 other pro-Palestinian activists who were detained when Israeli forces intercepted a flotilla trying to breach its naval blockade of Gaza to deliver aid last week.
Thunberg raised her fist as she was presented with flowers and cheered by dozens of supporters who had gathered at Athens airport.
The Israeli foreign minister said the activists had been flown to Greece and Slovakia, and that Greek, Slovakian, French, Italian, British and US citizens were among them.
It also once again rejected as “fake news” accusations that the activists were mistreated and denied basic rights while in detention.
So far, the ministry has announced the deportations of 341 of the 479 people who were on board the 42 boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF).
The 138 other activists remain in detention in Israel. More than 40 were confirmed to be on hunger strike on Sunday, according to the GSF.
It said the goal of the flotilla was to “break the illegal siege on Gaza by sea, open a humanitarian corridor, and end the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people”.
It also said the interceptions violated international maritime and humanitarian law.
Israeli authorities said they enforced a legal blockade and called the flotilla a “publicity stunt” because it was transporting only two tons of aid in total.
