Climate activist Greta Thunberg faced widespread backlash this week after sharing an image of an emaciated Israeli hostage in a social media post that falsely portrayed him as a Palestinian prisoner.
The image, which appeared in an Instagram post published Monday, was part of a slideshow Thunberg shared in collaboration with several activists.
The post claimed to highlight the “suffering of Palestinian prisoners” and accused Israel of “cruelty and dehumanization.”
“The suffering of Palestinian prisoners is not a matter of opinion — it is a fact of cruelty and dehumanization. Humanity cannot be selective. Justice cannot have borders,” the post read.
Greta Thunberg is using a photo of Israeli Evyatar David as an example of Israeli cruelty towards Palestinian Arabs.
— Max 📟 (@MaxNordau) October 7, 2025
This is the most “Every allegation is a confession” post I’ve ever seen. pic.twitter.com/AweNzgJRDC
However, the photo Thunberg used was not of a Palestinian prisoner.
It depicted 24-year-old Israeli hostage Evyatar David, who was abducted by Hamas and held in captivity in Gaza.
The image originated from a Hamas propaganda video released in August showing David digging his own grave after being deliberately starved by his captors.
The mistake quickly drew outrage, particularly from David’s family.
His sister, Yeela David, responded directly under Thunberg’s post, calling the activist’s actions irresponsible and deeply offensive.
“You should make a research before you post things you don’t understand about. In the 6th slide you put a photo of an Israeli hostage who Hamas starved on purpose.
This is Evyatar David,” she wrote.
“Every minute you are not deleting the post, you are becoming a bigger joke.”
The image of David sparked international condemnation when it was first released by Hamas.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Consulate General of Israel in New York later displayed the image on digital billboards in Times Square to raise awareness of the hostages’ suffering.
At the time of the video’s release, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Hamas terrorists deliberately starve our hostages, documenting them in a cynical, humiliating, and malicious manner.”
The disturbing footage showed David marking off days on a calendar as he noted the last time he was fed. In one part of the video, David said, “This is the grave I think I’m going to be buried in. Time is running out.”
Thunberg’s post included the image as part of a campaign tied to the second anniversary of the October 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel.
Following public criticism, the photo of David was quietly removed from her Instagram post without acknowledgment. Thunberg has not publicly commented on the mistake or issued an apology.
The controversy followed another incident involving Thunberg earlier this week. Israeli officials confirmed that she and hundreds of others were detained and later expelled from Israel after their vessel — part of the Global Sumud Flotilla — was intercepted while attempting to reach Gaza.
During a press conference after her return, Thunberg claimed that she and other detainees were mistreated while in custody.
“Personally, I don’t want to share what I was subjected to because I don’t want it to make headlines and ‘Greta has been tortured,’ because that’s not the story here,” she told reporters.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry has denied Thunberg’s claims, stating that all detainees were treated in accordance with international law and that no abuse occurred during their detention.
The misidentification of an Israeli hostage as a Palestinian prisoner has intensified scrutiny of Thunberg’s political activism, with critics accusing her of promoting misinformation and exploiting sensitive events for publicity.
The post remains visible on her social media account with the altered image set, though no clarification has been issued.
