Irish leaders condemn Israel’s detention of president’s sister

It is “unacceptable” that Irish citizens participating in an aid flotilla to Gaza have been detained by Israel, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said.

Dr. Margaret Connolly, sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly, is among the 12 Irish citizens detained.

Flotilla organizers reported that 10 boats from a convoy of 60 vessels were intercepted in international waters and boarded by Israeli forces on Monday morning.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the raid was “effectively neutralising a malicious plan designed to break the isolation we have imposed on Hamas terrorists in Gaza.”

President Connolly, on a three-day visit to England, described the incident as “quite upsetting” and said while “very proud of her sister,” she was “very worried about her.”

Taoiseach Micheál Martin asserted that people have the right to protest and participate in a mission highlighting the “shocking” humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

“In the first instance, what happened is absolutely unacceptable and is wrong,” the taoiseach said.

Martin said Ireland would raise the issue at the European Union level.

Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Simon Harris said his thoughts were with the president and other families whose loved ones had been detained.

“My heart goes out to President Connolly and her family, and indeed all of the families of those detained,” Harris said.

“What Israel has done is, in my view, illegal,” Harris added.

Harris described the detention as a breach of international law.

He noted that members of government, the opposition, and others have criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza but “unfortunately Israel seems to ignore the condemnation of the international world.”

“That’s why I think it’s important that we look at the actions that can be taken,” he said.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said activists on board were carrying food, baby formula, and medical aid for Palestinians in Gaza, where living conditions are dire and most of the 2.1 million population is displaced despite the ceasefire agreed by Israel and Hamas in October.

The Israeli foreign ministry described Gaza as “flooded with aid,” stating that more than 1.5 million tonnes of aid and thousands of tonnes of medical supplies had entered the territory over the past seven months.

The United Nations last week said many displaced families in Gaza were still forced to shelter in overcrowded tents or severely damaged structures due to the absence of safer alternatives.

Access to basic services remained limited, with inconsistent availability of clean water and impaired waste management systems that could not meaningfully address public health concerns, including those linked to pests and rodents, the UN added.

The Gaza war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 72,770 people have been killed, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.