JERUSALEM/TUNIS/TEHRAN - Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel on Tuesday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, the day after the Israeli navy prevented her and a group of fellow pro-Palestinian activists from sailing to Gaza.

Thunberg, 22, was put on a flight to France, the ministry said, adding that she would travel on to Sweden from there.

Three other people who had been aboard the charity vessel also agreed to immediate repatriation. Eight other crew members are contesting their deportation order, Israeli rights group Adalah, which advised them, said in a statement.

They will be held in a detention center ahead of a court hearing. It was not immediately clear when that would happen.

Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it neared Gaza early on Monday, trying to break through Israel's longstanding naval blockade, which has gained international attention since Israel also cut off land access to the strip in March. Israel now allows in only limited supplies of food distributed by a group it backs.

The British-flagged yacht was taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod and the 12-strong crew were transferred overnight to Ben Gurion airport.

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The activists had been carrying a small cargo of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula, and said they wanted to raise international awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has been devastated by months of war.

Israel dismissed the voyage as a pro-Hamas publicity stunt. "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," the Foreign Ministry said.

Israel released an image of Thunberg sitting on a plane ahead of its departure for Paris. She usually refuses to fly because of the carbon emissions of the airline industry.

Organizers released a video of Thunberg on Monday, filmed on board the vessel before it was captured, in which she said that if it were taken that would mean Israel had kidnapped her and the rest of the crew in international waters.

Mocked by Trump

US President Donald Trump mocked this: "I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg," he said. "She's a young, angry person ... I think she has to go to an anger management class."

Israel has imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. Israel says it aims to stop weapons from reaching Hamas.

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The blockade has remained in place through conflicts including the present war, which began when Hamas-led militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages by Israeli tallies.

Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza, and destroyed most of the homes of its 2.3 million residents.

In March Israel imposed a total blockade of all supplies reaching Gaza, which the United Nations says has driven the population to the brink of famine. Over the past two weeks Israel has allowed in limited food supplies to be distributed by a new Israeli-backed group, a step Israel says is necessary to prevent Hamas from diverting aid.

The vessel was reportedly carrying humanitarian cargo, including food and medical supplies, intended for Gaza.

Monday's incident comes roughly a month after another flotilla vessel, Conscience, was damaged in an alleged drone strike in international waters near Malta.

Israel imposed a naval blockade on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas took control of the enclave. The restrictions were further tightened following Hamas's deadly cross-border assault into southern Israel in October 2023.

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The war, now in its 21st month, has devastated Gaza's infrastructure and pushed its 2.3 million residents into a deep humanitarian crisis. UN agencies warn of impending famine, with the entire population facing acute food insecurity.

Tunisian-led aid convoy heads to Gaza

A humanitarian convoy named Soumoud, meaning "steadfastness" in Arabic, departed from the Tunisian capital Tunis on Monday, with a goal to challenge the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, according to the Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP).

Organized by the Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine in Tunisia, the land convoy brings together approximately 1,500 Tunisians and 200 Algerians, united in a call for global solidarity with the Palestinian people.

"This is primarily a land-based convoy, mobilizing all available resources to transport stockpiled humanitarian aid to Rafah," said Jaouaher Chamma, a member of the organizing committee.

Algerian, Mauritania, Moroccan and Libyan activists were also among the group, Chamma noted.

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The convoy is expected to pass through several Tunisian regions before entering Libya, where it will continue its journey in coordination with local NGOs. From there, it will head to the Saloum border crossing in eastern Libya and on into Egyptian territory, with the goal of reaching the Rafah crossing into Gaza.

"This initiative aimed to send a message to all free people of the world to stand against occupation and genocide," TAP quoted convoy spokesperson Wael Naouar as saying.

"Breaking the blockade is not just about delivering aid," Naouar said. "It's also about evacuating the wounded so they can receive medical treatment outside the occupied territories."

Iran says to target Israeli nuclear sites 'if attacked'

Iran's top security body warned on Monday that its armed forces would immediately target Israel's "secret nuclear facilities" if the Islamic Republic comes under military attack, following claims it has obtained "sensitive Israeli intelligence".

The Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) issued the statement days after Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib said Iran had acquired a "significant cache" of Israeli documents through intelligence operations.

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According to the council, months of intelligence gathering had enabled Iran's armed forces to identify high-value Israeli targets for potential retaliatory strikes, should Israel initiate military action against Iranian interests.

"This forms part of a broader strategic initiative aimed at countering disinformation by hostile actors and reinforcing Iran's deterrent capabilities," the SNSC said.

Tehran's access to Israeli intelligence would allow it to swiftly target "concealed nuclear sites" in the event of an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear infrastructure, the council said, adding that the information also supports proportionate retaliation against attacks on Iran's economic or military assets.

Israel is believed by many to possess nuclear weapons, though it has never officially confirmed or denied this, maintaining a longstanding policy of strategic ambiguity.