A post by Greta Thunberg caused strong reactions because it included, by mistake, a photo of Israeli hostage Evyatar David, who is held by Hamas.

The post was made on Monday by Yasmin Aker, a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla attempting to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip, and it also appeared on Thunberg’s account, which has over 16 million followers. As of Tuesday, the Swedish activist had not removed the post.

The caption of the post referred to the “cruelty and dehumanization” of Palestinian prisoners, emphasizing that “humanity cannot be selective” and that “justice knows no borders.” However, among the images was a photo of 24-year-old Israeli hostage Evyatar David in dire condition, taken from a Hamas video.

The hostage’s family reacted strongly. “In the sixth photo, you included my brother, whom Hamas deliberately starved. That is Evyatar David,” said his sister, Yeela, urging Thunberg to verify information before making public statements.

Thunberg participated with hundreds of activists in the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted by the Israeli navy while attempting to break the naval blockade of Gaza. Participants were taken to Ashdod and then deported, while Thunberg had also taken part in a similar attempt in June with the ship Madleen.

On Monday, 161 members of the mission, including Greta Thunberg, arrived in Athens, where they were greeted by crowds waving flags and chanting pro-Palestinian slogans. Thunberg avoided giving details about her detention conditions in Israel but hinted at mistreatment: “I could talk for a long time about the mistreatment we faced. But that is not the story here,” she said.

Who is Evyatar David

The 24-year-old David has been in captivity since Hamas abducted him at a music festival in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. During its attack on Israel two years ago, Hamas captured 251 hostages.

In a horrifying video, Hamas shows the Israeli hostage, emaciated, digging his own grave in a Gaza tunnel.

“I haven’t eaten for days,” he appears to say in the nearly five-minute video released with his family’s consent, causing global outrage.

David’s family described the images as “nightmarish,” showing him skeletal, like a living-dead figure. “We are forced to watch our beloved son and brother, Evyatar David, deliberately and cynically starve in Hamas tunnels in Gaza—a living skeleton, buried alive,” the family said in a statement.