President of Ireland's sister, Margaret Connolly, was among six of the Irish members on the Global Sumud Flotilla that was detained by Israeli troops on Monday.
Speaking after her visit with King Charles, President Connolly said: “In relation to my sister, it is very upsetting. I am very worried about her, and I am also very concerned about her colleagues on board. I’ve been very busy today. I’ve been in the Irish community centre in Hammersmith, which was a wonderful, magnificent display. And then I met with King Charles. I haven’t really had a chance to get details in relation to my sister, and indeed, equally importantly, her colleagues on the boat.”
President Connolly explained that she found her sisters detention quite upsetting and that she is "very concerned about her, and her colleagues, on board."
Organisers of the activists mission, which aims to bring aid to Gaza, revealed that they had lost contact with the flotilla. Margaret Connolly was on board with the ship with two other Irish activists Louise McCormack and Cormac O'Daly, as well as five other Europeans. Catriona Graham, Joshua St Leger, Tom Deasy, Helena Kearns and Adam Fitzhenry Collier are believed to also be detained.
Speaking to RTE's Liveline before her detention, Kearns explained that 17 or 18 boats had been detained in about four hours. She stated that those who were detained planned to go on hunger strike.
Kearns explained that no matter what they do to those detained it is “nothing compared" to what they do on a daily basis to the Palestinian people.
Flotilla activists issued a pre-recorded video message from Margaret Connolly when they announced the news of her detention by Israel.
“If you are watching this video, it means I have been kidnapped from my boat in the flotilla by the Israeli occupying forces and am now being held illegally in an Israeli prison. I am so proud to be taking part in this flotilla - it is the largest to date," Margaret Connolly said in the video.
CREDIT: RTE news
The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have condemned Israel's detention of those on board the flotilla. Micheál Martin said it was “unacceptable” and that he thought the actions of Israel were wrong as people have the right to protest and highlight the “shocking” humanitarian issue in Gaza.
Simon Harris stated that it was “a breach of international law”. Mr Harris said on Tuesday: “I was very struck by the president’s comments yesterday, because on a purely personal level of course you’d be worried, and my heart goes out to President Connolly and her family, and indeed all of the families of those detained. What Israel has done is, in my view, illegal."
“It is, in my view, in breach of international law, quite frankly, not even in my view, it is in breach of international law. We’re at this long enough to know that Israel doesn’t really care very much for people’s words, does it?” he continued.
“In the first instance, what happened is absolutely unacceptable and is wrong. We have condemned that as we have before where Israel intervenes in international waters and detains and essentially abducts people from the ships, and that’s unacceptable and the international rule of law has to apply," Mr Martin said on Tuesday.
“So, we will be raising this at European Union level in the context of other issues pertaining to Gaza and the West Bank in particular, and we hope to make progress at European Union level in relation to a number of issues in relation to Palestine, particularly in terms of sanctions on settlers, for example, who are to a large extent being facilitated by the Israeli government," he continued.
