Greta Thunberg on Tuesday (June 10) accused Israel of kidnapping her and her fellow pro-Palestinian activists in international waters, saying she declined to sign a document stating she entered the country illegally prior to being deported.

Speaking in the arrivals section of Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport after being deported from Israel, the Swedish activist said she and her team had broken no laws, and called for the immediate release of the activists still in Israel.

She laughed off criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who had described her as an angry person, saying: "I think the world needs a lot more young angry women to be honest, especially with everything going on right now."

Thunberg, 22, arrived in Paris a day after the Israeli navy prevented her and a group of fellow pro-Palestinian activists from sailing to Gaza.

Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it neared Gaza early on Monday (June 9), trying to break through a years-old naval blockade of the coastal enclave, and seized the 12-strong crew, including Thunberg.

Israel has called Thunberg an "antisemite" and dismissed the aid ship as a stunt.

Thunberg denied her mission to deliver aid to Gaza was a PR stunt, saying Israel was preventing aid from reaching people in need in Gaza.

Israel allowed limited U.N.-led operations to resume on May 19 after an 11-week blockade in the enclave of 2.3 million people, where experts have warned a famine looms. The U.N. has described the aid allowed into Gaza as "drop in the ocean."

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

ROISSY-EN-FRANCE, FRANCE (JUNE 10, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. SWEDISH ACTIVIST, GRETA THUNBERG, WALKING THROUGH ARRIVAL GATE AT PARIS CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT

2. THUNBERG WALKING SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS, PEOPLE HEARD APPLAUDING

3. THUNBERG WALKING

4. VARIOUS OF THUNBERG SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SWEDISH ACTIVIST, GRETA THUNBERG, SAYING:

"This is yet another violation of international rights, adding to the list of countless of such, especially towards Palestinians, that Israel is committing by blocking and preventing humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. That is illegal."

6. THUNBERG SPEAKING

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SWEDISH ACTIVIST, GRETA THUNBERG, SAYING:

"But they did an illegal act by kidnapping us on international waters and against our will, bringing us to Israel, keeping us In the bottom of the boat, not letting us out and so on. But that is not the real story here. The real story is that there is a genocide going on in Gaza, and a systematic starvation following the siege and blockade now, which is leading to food, medicine, water that are desperately needed to get into Gaza is prevented from doing so. But of course, there are many attempts like this mission, both by sea and land, to break that siege and open up a humanitarian corridor."

8. THUNBERG SPEAKING

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SWEDISH ACTIVIST, GRETA THUNBERG, SAYING:

"Yes, I'm very worried about them (other people who were on boat). We heard many different messages pointing towards that they would not make it easy, and there were troubles about being able to see lawyers. So I'm very much calling for their immediate release and calling for everyone who can to mobilise to their governments in other ways to demand their immediate release."

10. THUNBERG SPEAKING

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SWEDISH ACTIVIST, GRETA THUNBERG, SAYING:

"As you can see, I'm desperately in need of a shower and sleep. But what is certain is we will not stop, we are going to continue to try to do everything we can because that is the promise that we have given to Palestinians, that we are going to try every single day, in every way that we can, keep trying to demand an end to the atrocities that Israel is doing."

12. THUNBERG SPEAKING

13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SWEDISH ACTIVIST, GRETA THUNBERG, SAYING (IN RESPONSE TO COMMENTS FROM U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP THAT SHE WAS AN ANGRY PERSON):

"Well, I think the world needs a lot more young, angry women to be honest, especially with everything going on right now. That's the thing we need most of."

14. THUNBERG AND JOURNALISTS WALKING UP STAIRS

15. ARRIVAL GATES