Israel deports Greta Thunberg after intercepting Gaza activists' aid boat

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg has been deported, Israel said on Tuesday, after authorities detained her and other activists on board a boat attempting to take aid to Gaza.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry posted a photo on X showing Ms Thunberg on a flight to Sweden via France. She and 11 fellow activists were apprehended on Monday by Israeli forces in international waters and taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

Three other people who had been aboard the charity vessel Madleen also agreed to immediate repatriation. Eight other crew members are contesting their deportation order, said Adalah, a legal rights group representing the activists. They will be held in a detention centre ahead of a court hearing.

The activists had left Italy on June 1 on board the Madleen, saying they would break the Israeli siege on Gaza and deliver supplies. Israeli authorities described their mission as a celebrity stunt.

"The passengers of the 'Selfie Yacht' arrived at Ben Gurion Airport to depart from Israel and return to their home countries," the Israeli Foreign Ministry earlier said on X. "Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority."

The ministry added that consuls from the activists' home countries had met them at the airport.

Organisers of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition had earlier put out a statement saying the crew were being "processed and transferred into the custody of Israeli authorities" after the boat was stopped.

It said they were expected to be moved to the Ramleh detention facility unless they agreed to leave immediately.

Adalah said the boat was intercepted in international waters, where Israel has no legal jurisdiction.

An Israeli soldier offers a sandwich to Greta Thunberg on board the yacht Madleen after Israeli forces boarded the vessel. Reuters

Many of the crew are French. President Emmanuel Macron had called for the repatriation of the French citizens.

"Most of all, France calls for a ceasefire as quickly as possible and the lifting of the humanitarian blockade. This is a scandal, unacceptable, that is playing out in Gaza. What’s been happening since early March is a disgrace, a disgrace," Mr Macron said.

Israel has faced mounting international criticism over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the UN has warned the entire population faces famine. Israel imposed an aid blockade on the besieged enclave on March 2 and has only relaxed it in recent days.

The Madleen yacht was carrying a small amount of humanitarian aid, including rice, baby formula and medical supplies, in a symbolic voyage in protest at the blockade. Crew members said they were unarmed civilians who posed no threat.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said: "The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels."

People protest in front of the Israeli embassy in Athens, Greece, in support of the Freedom Flotilla vessel Madleen that was intercepted by Israeli forces while on its way to deliver aid to Gaza. Reuters
A woman waves Palestinian flags during a demonstration in support of the Freedom Flotilla, in Mexico City. Reuters
A placard reading 'Palestine will live' is raised during a solidarity rally for Gaza in Paris. EPA
Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of France's LFI party, delivers a speech during a solidarity rally for Gaza in Paris. EPA
Pro-Palestine demonstrators during a rally in Milan, Italy. EPA
Sri Lankan pro-Palestine activists stage a protest in Colombo, calling for the release of the 12 international volunteers on board the Madleen who were detained by Israeli troops. EPA
Protesters clash with police during a demonstration in support of the Freedom Flotilla, outside the Foreign Office in London. Getty Images
An Israeli man confronts Israeli activists holding placards and waving Palestinian flags as they protest near the port of Ashdod, Israel. EPA

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had ordered the military on Sunday to prevent the vessel from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas.

A previous yacht, Conscience, attempted the same voyage in May but was halted by a drone strike that organisers blamed on Israel.

As well as Ms Thunberg, the Madleen's crew included French politician Rima Hassan, who is of Palestinian descent, and volunteers from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Turkey.

Mr Katz said he had instructed the military to show the activists videos from the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel carried out by Hamas. "It is appropriate that the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas supporters see exactly who the Hamas terrorist organisation is they came to support and for whom they are working," he said.

However, Mr Katz said the activists had refused to watch the footage.

Separately, hundreds of people on Monday launched a land convoy to Gaza from Tunisia, which aims to "break the siege" on the territory.

Organisers said the nine-bus convoy was not taking aid into Gaza but aimed to carry out a "symbolic act" in support of the enclave. The Soumoud convoy, meaning "steadfastness" in Arabic, includes doctors and intends to arrive in Rafah, southern Gaza, by the end of the week.

It is set to pass through Libya and Egypt, although Cairo has yet to provide passage permits.

Twenty months into the Gaza war, negotiations over a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked. A brief truce collapsed in March and Israel has since intensified operations to “destroy” the Palestinian group.

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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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The UN General Assembly President in quotes:

YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”

PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”

OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”

REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”

British Grand Prix free practice times in the third and final session at Silverstone on Saturday (top five):

1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:28.063 (18 laps)

2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 1:28.095 (14)

3. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1:28.137 (20)

4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) 1:28.732 (15)

5. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Renault) 1:29.480 (14)