- Opinion
- 30 Apr 26
Irish citizens detained by Israeli forces aboard Gaza-bound flotilla
An emergency demonstration will happen today at 5pm on Kildare Street, organised by the Irish delegation of the Global Sumud.
Israeli forces have intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla. Organisers confirmed that approximately 175 people were taken from the 22 intercepted boats, including seven Irish citizens.
Among those on the flotilla is Margaret Connolly, a Sligo-based GP and the sister of President Catherine Connolly. In a message posted Thursday morning, Margaret Connolly said that while surrounding boats are being intercepted, the vessel she is on is "still escaping interception and is en route to Crete."
In a statement shared on social media, flotilla organisers also detailed that some boats were approached by Israeli military speedboats whose personnel ordered participants to the front of the vessel at gunpoint. Activists say their communications were jammed Video footage shared by the group shows activists receiving a radio warning from the Israeli military to turn back or face being boarded.
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The new Global Sumud Flotilla is the largest civilian maritime mission for Palestine in history, almost double the size of the previous one. A hundred boats with around 1,000 people on board will be involved in the new mission, meant to deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza.
During a speech today at the Global Irish Civic Forum, an initiative of the Irish Government to help strengthen ties between Ireland and the diaspora, President Connolly made a statement about the flotilla.
"I couldn't leave the stage without saying I'm very conscious of the arrests being made on the flotilla," said Connolly. "I'll leave my comments at that - the arrests that have been made of Irish citizens among a number of other citizens, and I say that in the context of a speech where most of our people left on ships in very bad conditions and now we're in a situation where a flotilla of solidarity is in difficulty."
“Solidarity with all those on the Gaza flotilla attempting to break the illegal blockade by occupation forces,” said KNEECAP in a recent post on X. “The occupation's navy has announced a large-scale operation against the flotilla. We have confirmed reports from friends present of flotilla boats being harassed by drones and approached by military boats. All eyes on them.”
Irish activist and poet Michael Cullen ,who is on one of the boats of the flotilla, wrote on his Instagram “The flotilla was intercepted for several hours all night. Soldiers boarded many of our aid boats and abducted the civilians on board, but we had so many vessels that many of our fleet managed to reach Greece on our way to Gaza.”
"We still don't know what happened to the peaceful volunteers kidnapped but we are hearing reports of arrests and sabotage of boats ahead of a storm," said Greta Thunberg, who was kidnapped and detained during the last flotilla mission in 2025. "These vessels were in international waters between Italy and Crete, which is more than thousand kilometers from Gaza. This is a blatant violation of international and humanitarian law."
An emergency demonstration will happen today at 5pm on Kildare Street, organized by the Irish delegation of the Global Sumud.
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