WHAT WAS CLAIMED
An IDF statement said Greta Thunberg will be allowed into Gaza at her own risk.
OUR VERDICT
False. The statement is fake and the boat carrying Greta Thunberg was been stopped and diverted to Israel.
AAP FACTCHECK - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not wish Greta Thunberg an "enjoyable visit" to Gaza in a statement, despite claims on social media.
A supposed IDF statement being shared ahead of the activist's arrival in the area by ship is a fake.
On June 9, 2025, Israeli naval forces boarded and seized the vessel.
At the time of publication, the vessel had been taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod, with the passengers expected to return to their home countries.
Ms Thunberg, known for her climate change activism, was among those intercepted en route to Gaza aboard the yacht Madleen, in a trip organised by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, along with 11 other activists.
Those onboard were carrying aid, which they said they would hand to Gazans, despite the Israeli Navy restricting entry to Gaza by sea.
The fake "official IDF statement" circulating on social media suggested a different policy for the Madleen.
"The IDF will allow Greta Thunberg to enter Gaza," it reads. "The entry is entirely at her own risk; the IDF bears no responsibility for her safety or fate. We wish her an enjoyable visit."
The statement, however, is not genuine.
The fake image was originally an X post bearing the caption "Enjoy your Gaza".
In a subsequent X post, the user clarified that it is not an official IDF statement.
Asked if it was responsible for the statement on social media, an IDF spokesperson told AAP FactCheck: "The IDF enforces the security naval blockade on the Gaza Strip and is prepared for a wide range of scenarios, which it will act upon in accordance with the directives of the political echelon."
Israel imposed a naval blockade after Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007.
The blockade has remained in place through multiple conflicts, including the current war, which began after a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Crew member Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament, said in an X post on June 9: "The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2 a.m."
Israel's Foreign Ministry confirmed in an X post that the yacht was making its way to Israel and passengers were expected to return to their home countries.
AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network. To keep up with our latest fact checks, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, BlueSky, TikTok and YouTube.
