Israeli Hostage Families Criticize Greta Thunberg Over Controversial ‘Freedom Flotilla’ Incident in Gaza

GRETA Thunberg’s “Freedom Flotilla” ship stunt has been slammed by the tormented families of hostages.

Anti-Israel campaigner Greta, 22, has been accused of supporting Hamas after attempting to breach the Gaza blockade.

Israeli naval forces seized the British flagged-yacht Madleen carrying the climate activist on Monday.

Greta, who complained about being “kidnapped,” has faced criticism for her recent actions from the families of hostages, who have accused her of wasting valuable time.

She has since been pictured on a deportation flight from Israel.

One ex-government official rebuked what they branded an “insignificant episode which mostly manifested the stupidity of both sides”.

Rita Lifshitz, whose in-laws were brutally kidnapped on October 7, echoed suggestions she should have been “left in Gaza”.

She told The Sun: “In Sweden they said it would have been better to let her into Gaza so she couldn’t come back.

“People don’t believe in what she’s doing and saying.

“This will just show them more that they shouldn’t believe what she is saying.”

Rita’s father-in-law Oded was callously killed in captivity after being snatched by Hamas terrorists from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

He and wife Yocheved were among 250 taken hostage when vile Hamas thugs tore across the border – killing at random and torching homes.

Steve Brisley’s sister Leanne 48, and his nieces Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13, were among those cruelly murdered that day.

The dad, from Bridgend, Wales, took aim at Greta’s stunt for wasting time which could have been used to get the remaining hostages home.

“This isn’t about politics or publicity for me,” he said.

“It’s about families torn apart and 55 hostages still in Gaza.

“Their loved ones wait for their return – for an embrace or a burial.

“Every moment wasted on anything else adds to the suffering on both sides.”

Efrat Machikawa, whose elderly uncle Gadi Moses was trapped in Gaza for 15 months, resonated with Steve’s call.

She stated: “The only comment I might have at the moment is to bring the focus on releasing all hostages and ending this terrible war, so we can all heal.”

“Every day passing is a day too late for all of us in the region.”

Greta’s bold assertion of being kidnapped has also shocked Israelis, particularly the families enduring the pain of seeing their loved ones taken.

Maya Roman, whose cousin Yarden Roman-Gat bravely handed her three-year-old daughter to her husband as she tried to flee Hamas, said the eco-warrior’s stunt shifted focus from more pressing issues.

She said: “I just wish she and others from the pro-Palestine could include the Israeli hostages in their campaigns.

“I understand they are trying to raise awareness to what’s going on here but I think it’s mostly shifting the conversation to places that aren’t as helpful.

“I think it’s bad she did not mention the Israeli hostages, especially whenshe described herself and others as being kidnapped.

“I think that really rubbed a lot of people here up the wrong way.

“From a broader perspective, we are stuck here and I think these kinds of things – while I understand the meaning behind them and possibly good intentions – don’t seem to be helping us to get unstuck.

“So I just wish all of these resources and thoughts and ideas would go into trying to be more pragmatic in helping us resolve the situation that’s going on here for the benefit of the hostages, the Palestinians, the Israelis and everyone around.”

Israeli’s furious government had vowed to make Greta and other activists detained watch a harrowing video of the October 7 massacre.

Haunting clips shows innocents, including children, being slaughtered by Hamas savages during the attacks.

The footage – titled “Bearing Witness” – was taken from the Hamas terrorists’ bodycams as they filmed their massacre.

But it is understood Greta refused to watch the film.

Hamas unleashed carnage in the Middle East after massacring more than 1,200 and abducting 251 hostages on October 7, 2023.

What happened on October 7?

ON OCTOBER 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, marking one of the darkest days in the nation’s history.

Terrorists stormed across the border from Gaza, killing over 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly.

The coordinated assault saw heavily armed fighters infiltrate Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and military bases, unleashing indiscriminate violence.

Innocent families were slaughtered in their homes, and graphic footage of the atrocities spread across social media, leaving the world in shock.

And as well as attacking people in their homes, they stormed the Nova music peace festival – killing at least 364 people there alone.

The massacre triggered a swift and massive retaliatory response from Israel, escalating into a full-scale war.

The attack not only reignited long-standing tensions in the region but also left deep scars on both sides of the conflict, setting the stage for the 16 months of devastation that followed.

Some 56 hostages remain in Gaza – 20 of whom are still believed to be alive.

Greta’s bid to get into the strip with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) came after a failed attempt in May, when another of its vessels was struck by two drones in international waters off Malta.

Footage on Monday showed the Israeli Navy communicating with the Madleen over a loudspeaker, urging it to change course.

Israeli forces boarded the ship and the foreign ministry later confirmed it was “safely making its way to the shores of Israel“.

All passengers were safe, unharmed and handed sandwiches and water before the vessel docked at the southern Israeli port of Ashdod.

The boat was carrying a “tiny amount of aid” on board – which will be sent to Gaza.

Greta had earlier posted on social media with a Palestine flag and wearing a keffiyeh scarf while on the journey.

US President Donald Trump commented: “She’s a strange person.

“I think she needs to go to an anger management class.”

Travelling alongside her was Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament of Palestinian descent.

She was barred from entering Israel due to her outspoken criticism of the country’s policies towards Palestinians.

Organisers claimed pro-Palestinian FFC claimed the voyage was “a non-violent, direct action to challenge Israel’s illegal siege”.

Israel imposed a near-total blockade on Gaza in late 2023, following Hamas’s horror massacre on southern Israel on October 7.