Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday (June 10) announced it had deported Swedish activist Greta Thunberg a day after seizing the Madleen, the ship she was on.In a post on X, the Foreign Ministry wrote, “Greta Thunberg just departed Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France).”Greta Thunberg just departed Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France). pic.twitter.com/kWrI9KVoqX— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 10, 2025A British-flagged vessel, the Madleen set sail from Italy last week and carried aid for the people of war-torn Gaza. Twelve passengers, including Thunberg, were on board. It was backed by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international movement aiming to end “the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza”.Israel’s relative restraint in detaining the passengers and moving to deport them marks a sharp contrast to what ensued when another FFC-backed ship, the Conscience, set out to deliver aid to Gaza last month. The ship faced a drone attack in international waters near Malta on May 2, and held Israel responsible.These actions are not unprecedented. In 2010, Israeli commandos shot dead 10 activists aboard the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, part of a “freedom flotilla” carrying aid to Gaza in a similar effort. The news triggered international condemnation and strained relations between Israel and Turkey, who were allies at the time.Turkey condemned the Israeli detention of the Madleen on Monday, calling Israel a “terrorist state”, and the move a “clear violation of international law”.The Mavi Marmara was one of six civilian ships which had set sail towards Gaza as part of the ‘Gaza Freedom Flotilla’: three of these, including the Mavi Marmara, were passenger ships carrying 748 people of 40 nationalities. The other three carried aid meant for Palestine, aiming to breach an Israeli and Egyptian blockade on Gaza. (The flotilla originally included two more ships, which faced engine issues ahead of their start, spurring rumours of Israeli sabotage.)The Israeli blockade has existed since the ’90s, but these restrictions were intensified after Hamas gained control of Gaza in 2007. Egypt closed the Rafah crossing with Gaza that year. Physical barriers were erected around the 365 sq km Gaza Strip in Palestine’s southwestern region.Story continues below this adAdditionally, Israel had maintained a naval blockade, preventing international ships from entering Gaza or local vessels from leaving the coastal waters. This was intensified in October 2023, following the Hamas attacks on Israel. Soon, Israel stopped the supply of food, water, fuel and electricity into Gaza. Israel briefly loosened the blockade this January following a US-brokered ceasefire, only to reinstate it in March, alleging ceasefire violations by Hamas.The Freedom Flotilla carried 10,000 tonnes of goods, including school supplies, building materials and two large electricity generators, according to a BBC report. This defied an Israeli directive banning the entry of a wide variety of goods to keep the pressure on Hamas. The flotilla sought to draw international attention to the blockade, which it described as illegal.Also Read | Voyage of Madleen: Why mission to deliver aid to Gaza is beset with ‘danger’The effort was spearheaded by the Free Gaza Movement, a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups challenging the Israeli blockade of Gaza, as well as the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH). Notably, Israel had identified the IHH as a terrorist organisation, closely linked to Hamas. Turkey refuted this view, treating it as a bona fide charity, and had urged Israel to allow the flotilla passage.Israel also wished to verify that the ships did not carry construction materials, weapons or cash. It reportedly asked the flotilla to dock at the Israeli port of Ashdod, and offered to transport all approved goods by road, according to the BBC report.So what happened on May 31, 2010?Story continues below this adBefore dawn broke on May 31, 2010, Israeli naval forces descended on the flotilla from helicopters and warships in international waters between Cyprus and the Gaza Coast. While the timeline is disputed, Israeli officials claimed their troops opened fire after first being attacked by some of the passengers, who “charged them with knives and sticks and allegedly fired live rounds,” according to a 2010 report of the Financial Times.In the ensuing melee, nine activists aboard the Mavi Marmara were shot dead, and at least 50 other passengers were wounded, according to the 2010 UN Human Rights Council report, which investigated the incident. One of the wounded remained in a coma for four years before dying. All the deceased were Turkish nationals.Ten commandos were also reportedly injured in the attack.Israel-Turkey relationsAfter Israel was carved out of then-Mandatory Palestine in 1948, Turkey became the first Muslim-majority country to recognise the nation a year later. However, the relations between the two have progressed in waves, with Turkey periodically expressing its support for Palestine’s right to self-determination.The 2010 attack came during a fraught diplomatic period and saw bilateral relations devolve within just hours. Turkey recalled its ambassador from Israel, while Recep Tayyip Erdogan, then the Prime Minister, accused Israel of overseeing “inhuman state terror”.Story continues below this adBoth countries hurled accusations over the following years, with Turkey demanding an apology from Israel, and Israel claiming it had a right to defend itself. However, efforts towards normalising relations unexpectedly commenced in 2013, with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu tendering an apology, and the two countries agreeing to a system of compensation for the victims’ families. Relations were normalised in 2016.The two countries have since faced a very rocky relationship, with Israel’s policy on Palestine remaining a flashpoint. In 2024, Turkey severed all diplomatic ties with Israel over its unwillingness to end its war in Gaza.