Humanitarian Aid Boat With Greta Thunberg Is Seized by Israeli Navel Forces While Delivering Aid to Gaza — More About the Activist's Parents

A boat carrying activist Greta Thunberg was seized by Israeli Naval Forces in international waters on June 9 as they attempted to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip. According to Reuters, the Swedish activist was on board the Madleen as several volunteers from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition tried to deliver humanitarian aid amidst the humanitarian crisis happening in the region.

A war broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, after Hamas killed 1,200 people during an attack on Israel and took 251 hostages.

The Israeli military retaliated by bombing Palestine, and at least 54,000 Palestinians have died since the war began, mostly mothers and children. According to the IPC, more than 2 million Palestinians are at risk of starvation as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, and the Freedom Flotilla was carrying food and medical supplies to help the Palestinian people.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the seizure while calling Greta an "antisemite."

The activist claims she has been kidnapped, and the shocking news has many wondering about Greta Thunberg's parents.

Greta Thunberg became an international sensation after she challenged world leaders to take immediate action to prevent the effects of climate change. The Swedish activist is the daughter of opera singer Malena Ernman and her actor husband, Svante Thunberg.

According to The Guardian, the couple traveled with Greta and her little sister, Beata, to cities like Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Amsterdam, and Barcelona as Malena performed in opera houses across Europe.

Svanta became a Mr. Mom due to his wife's higher salary, and the family followed Malena on her career path.

When she was 11, Greta began crying constantly and stopped eating one day. The couple later learned that Greta was autistic and had Asperger’s syndrome. In her memoir, Our House Is on Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis, Malena detailed her daughter's early struggles with autism.

"She was slowly disappearing into some kind of darkness, and little by little, bit by bit, she seemed to stop functioning," wrote Malena. "She stopped playing the piano. She stopped laughing. She stopped talking. And she stopped eating."

After hearing that she would be hospitalized to get nutrition, Greta declared that she would eat again. She also began taking an antidepressant. Greta was also diagnosed with OCD, and later, Beata was diagnosed with ADHD, elements of Asperger’s syndrome, and OCD.

In a video shared on Instagram, Greta said she and the crew had been kidnapped.

"My name is Greta Thunberg, and I am from Sweden," she said. "We have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli Occupational Forces, or forces that support Israel. I urge all my friends, family, and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible."

Per CNN, the activists aboard the ship will be deported to their home countries once they reach Israeli shores in Ashdod. No word on what will happen to the food and medical supplies on board.