Just before the Gaza Sumud Flotilla was intercepted by the Israeli navy Monday, activists were seen on video footage tossing their phones into the sea.

Flotilla activists have been known to throw their phones into the water before Israeli interception to prevent their devices from falling into the hands of the Israelis, giving them access to their flotilla video footage and other communications.

Critics ask what they have to hide. They also point out that smartphones and other electronic devices are extremely harmful to marine life.

Submersion in the water causes the devices to leach toxic chemicals, heavy metals and microplastics into the water, which accumulates in the food chain that is then consumed by the denizens of the sea.

Each part of a smartphone presents unique hazards to aquatic habitats: The chemicals used to create images on the screen, called liquid crystal monomers, are persistent pollutants containing gene-altering toxins. Batteries and circuit boards leach heavy metals into the water that disrupt the reproductive cycle of marine animals and cause neurological damage. The plastic from phone cases dissolves into microplastics which are ingested by plankton, who transfer this dangerous junk to animals higher up on the food chain.

Critics are mystified by the silence of Greta Thunberg on these ecological crimes. Before becoming the face of the Gaza flotilla, Thunberg led the fight against climate change. Observers wonder why she doesn’t speak out against the pollution of the sea her colleagues have caused by tossing their phones, as well as food packets, overboard.