"During the Sunday evening, we have received information from Israeli authorities that they are planning for the Swedish citizens to leave Israel by air tomorrow”, writes Maria Malmer Stenergard (The Moderate Party) in a comment to TT.
She further states that representatives from the embassy in Tel Aviv have been allowed to meet all detained Swedes in the prison on Sunday.
Greece's foreign ministry says that a flight will take off from Israel to Athens with 27 Greek citizens on Monday. Anna Fransson says that the Swedes will also be flown to Greece during the day.
There, they will be taken care of and be able to recover.
Injuries will be documented, says Anna Fransson.
When they will return to Sweden is not known.
Dragged by the hair
One of the Swedes is Greta Thunberg. According to an email that the foreign ministry has sent to her relatives, and which The Guardian has taken part of, Thunberg has described that she does not get enough food and water and that she has gotten rashes that she believes come from bed bugs.
Activists who have been interviewed say that Greta Thunberg, among other things, has been dragged by the hair and forced to kiss the Israeli flag.
”I have taken part of information about allegations of degrading treatment. If the information is correct, it is very serious”, wrote Maria Malmer Stenergard in a statement to TT earlier during the Sunday.
She wrote further that ”the foreign ministry and the embassy are working to get the Swedish citizens home as soon as possible”.
The foreign ministry states that in contact with Israeli authorities, they have emphasized the importance of meeting medical needs and that they "immediately must meet the needs of food and clean water" as well as the possibility of meeting legal representatives.
Israel denies
Anna Fransson said to TT earlier during the day that at least three of the Swedes then had not been allowed to meet a legal representative, which contradicts international law.
Israel denies all allegations that the detained have been treated badly and calls them ”shameless lies”.
”Interestingly, Greta and other prisoners have refused to speed up their deportations and insist on extending their time in detention”, writes the Israeli foreign ministry on X.
Facts: Global Sumud Flotilla
TT
The Gaza convoy Global Sumud Flotilla's (GSF) consisted of around 40 boats with several hundred activists, journalists, and parliamentarians on board. Nine Swedes, including the climate activist Greta Thunberg and the member of parliament Lorena Delgado Varas (formerly The Left Party), are participating in the trip that started in Barcelona at the end of August.
The convoy's goal was to break Israel's blockade of Gaza and deliver emergency aid. When the ships approached the Gaza Strip on the evening of October 1, the Israeli navy began boarding the boats, which were then on international waters.
Over 400 people have been detained and taken to Israel. Many of them to the prison Ketziot in the Negev desert. Of the more than 150 activists who have been deported from the country so far, many testify to poor conditions and abuse and that they have not been allowed to meet legal representatives.
Also in June, Greta Thunberg and other activists were stopped by Israel on international waters, west of Gaza. They were then taken to Israeli custody and later sent home.
