On Instagram, Ávila posted from the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, the slain terror chief of Hezbollah (Photo: X screenshot)[Missing Credit]
On social media, he said he was “inspired” by Nasrallah. In a caption on social media, he wrote: “I met Nasrallah when I was 19 years old, when Israel was invading Lebanon once again and he made a speech saying that the Lebanese resistance would defeat the Zionist entity.
“I was so inspired watching him speak,” he wrote on Instagram, where he has 800k followers.
He also called the Hezbollah leader a “martyr” who inspires people “all over the world.”
“Not many people can say that they defeated the greatest evil forces of their generation not only once, but many times like Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” Ávila said, adding that Lebanon “will never be defeated by the Zionists.”
Ávila was filmed at a meeting in Lebanon last February where attendees chanted "death to Israel" (Photo: X screenshot)[Missing Credit]
“And today, the Lebanese resistance shows that it’s very much alive, reorganising and inspired to follow the footsteps of its leader. I was very honoured and very humbled to be here on this historical moment and to meet such inspiring people,” Ávila said.
Also in February, the activist was filmed punching the air during a meeting in Beirut where attendees chanted “Death to Israel” “Death to America” “Victory for Islam”.
In another post, he said: “I actually despise Israel and the United States”.
Separately, he posted an image on Instagram standing next to plane hijacker and PFLP member, Leila Khaled.
Recently detained flotilla passenger, Thiago Ávila, shared a snap with plane hijacker Leila Khaled (Screenshot: X/Instagram)[Missing Credit]
Khaled first gained notoriety for her role in the 1969 hijacking of a Trans World Airlines flight flying from Rome to Tel Aviv. She was arrested the following year for attempting to hijack an El Al flight from Amsterdam to New York but was released in exchange for dozens of PFLP-held hostages.
Keffiyeh-clad Ávila said she was “one of the [people] I most admire in the whole world”.
On the day he was detained by Israeli forces, Ávila reposted a cartoon depiction of the boat and a large shark marked with a Magen David.
The account has also shared videos of Ávila playing guitar and singing aboard the yacht.
Ávila shared a cartoon credited to Gaza based artist Shahd Rajab depicting the boat and a large shark marked with a Magen David (Photo: Instagram screenshot)[Missing Credit]
The 12 activists on the Madleen were arrested on Monday early morning following repeated warnings that the Gaza coast is under a strict maritime blockade.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the group had been given sandwiches and water and would be sent back to their home countries.
While the ministry posted a picture of Thunberg being offered a sandwich, stating she was “on her way to Israel, safe and in good spirits,” the climate activist claimed in a video message that they were “kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces or forces that support Israel.”
Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military show the group a 43-minute video of atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
Thiago Ávila has shared clips with his guitar from the Gaza-bound boat (Photo: Instagram screenshot)[Missing Credit]
“It’s appropriate that Greta and her friends see exactly who the terror group Hamas is, what atrocious acts they carried out against women, the elderly and children, and who Israel is fighting to defend against,” said Katz.
He ordered the video to be screened for the group upon their arrival at the Port of Ashdod, where their boat was towed after Israeli troops boarded the vessel.
Ávilahas been contacted for comment.
