Catherine Connolly’s Sister Among Activists in Flotilla Kidnapped by Israel
By Luke Collins
Dr Margaret Connolly, sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly, was among the 12 Irish citizens on board the Global Sumud Flotilla fleet on the 18th of May. Connolly was in 1 of 60 boats carrying over 400 pro-Palestinian activists carrying aid for Gaza, having launched from Turkey. A GP from Sligo, Connolly stated that she felt “utterly compelled – as a mother, a doctor, and as a human being – to help in this flotilla” [1]. The Irish President, who at the time was on a 3-day visit to England, including a meeting with King Charles, stated her concern for her sister’s well-being.
Last October, a ceasefire was agreed between Hamas and Israel, which included conditions such as a cessation of all military operations, withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, and wider distribution of aid to Gaza, but the fragile ceasefire has not stopped conditions from worsening. Nearly 700 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire was first announced, the agreement’s goal of 600 aid trucks per day entering Gaza has not been met which has led to widespread malnutrition and famine according to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Human Affairs and the US war with Iran beginning in February of this year has had devastating effects on the supply of aid to Gaza and restricted movement in the Rafah Crossing which should have been a major connecting point for aid and for taking patients to medical centres outside of Gaza for treatment [2]. Israel has also not left the Gaza Strip, instead creating ‘yellow lines’ separating Gaza into areas of control, which takes up nearly 55% of the Gaza Strip. It seems that while on paper there is a ceasefire, the violence and domination of Israel in the Gaza Strip have not stopped, and there has not been a substantial improvement in conditions in Gaza due to an insufficient amount of aid entering the region and no attempts being made to reconstruct the area.
With no great improvement to the Gaza Strip occurring, the Global Sumud Flotilla decided to launch further attempts to bring aid into Gaza. They are a global Palestinian activist movement seeking to break the siege in the Gaza Strip. They have been commended by the Palestinian NGOs network on their brave efforts to deliver life-saving aid to Palestinians suffering in Gaza, as well as attempting to establish a civilian-operated maritime route to Gaza, which would hopefully lead to unimpeded access to humanitarian aid. [3] The group has stated that their other aims are to support reconstruction in Gaza, expose complicity and transform their movement into a catalyst for coordinated aid mobilisation, delivering what world governments cannot give. On the 30th of April, 22 boats from the Flotilla were intercepted by Israel near the Greek island of Crete, leading to the detention of 181 civilians and all but two were released the next day, with Spanish citizen Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian citizen Thiago Ávila being taken to Israel for 10 days of questioning before being released. This was a continuation of many attempts to bring aid into Gaza, including last October, in which Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was among 470 activists arrested in Israel and deported with accusations that the activists were subject to abuse. Israel has repeatedly denied claims of abuse, has called the attempts of the Flotilla ‘piracy’ and has constantly reiterated that Gaza is “flooded with aid” [4]. This attempt to bring aid to Gaza represents the latest attempt from the Global Sumud Flotilla.
On the 18th of May, Israel intercepted more than 50 boats sent by the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying food and medical supplies for citizens of Gaza in what Israel described as a “provocation” seeking to assist Hamas (the Palestinian militant group labelled as ‘terrorists’ by Israel). The following day, all of the boats sent by the Flotilla had been intercepted. Videos released by the Flotilla appeared to show Israeli forces boarding the boats and shots ringing out while activists shout, “Why are you shooting?” [5] and they have claimed that Israeli forces shot at 5 other boats in the vicinity, although Israel has denied these claims. The Flotilla have emphasised that the activists were on a “legal, non-violent humanitarian mission,” [4] and has labelled Israel’s intervention as an “illegal, high-seas aggression” [4].
The activists were then taken to Israel, where, according to Connolly, they were subject to “dehumanising” conditions. [6] They were reportedly hit with guns by armed guards who constantly surrounded them, were forced to strip off their clothes, had requests for blankets denied, and were given basic necessities such as water, toiletries and medicine. Melbourne Student Neve O’Connor stated that she was kneed in the face and stomach by Israeli soldiers as well as having her head slammed into a table. She stated that they brought a man of Arab appearance to a shipping container to be tortured, and their response to activists chanting ‘Free Palestine’ was “if you use words, we use guns”. [7] There have been 15 reported cases of sexual assault, at least 30 activists with bruises and broken bones and people in urgent need of hospital care denied basic medical necessities. [7] Israeli soldiers reportedly played Hebrew reggae music to drown out the sound of them beating detainees, and soldiers reportedly responded to pleas for help with “You should have thought of this before you came” [6]. Detainees were also forced to kneel while viewing graphic images of people being decapitated and tortured, with the Israeli soldiers stating, “These are your Hamas friends”. [7] Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir received a lot of criticism after a video appeared to show him taunting activists kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs, even being criticised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Connolly stated that detainees were forced to huddle together for warmth and praised the courage and spirit of the Muslim men who kept her faith going, even as she stated she had felt ‘invisible’ when subjected to torture by Israeli soldiers and even went on hunger strike to protest the dehumanising conditions detainees faced. She called on Israel to face sanctions from the Irish government, who have not done so as of yet. Israel has denied all charges of mistreating detainees.
The actions of Israel have been condemned worldwide. President Erdogan of Turkey strongly condemned Israel’s “piracy and banditry” [4] and demanded the release of the 40 Turkish nationals on the kidnapped boats. Israel counteractively accused the Turkish non-governmental humanitarian organisation IHH of being involved in the Flotilla, as Israel has accused the IHH of being an anti-Israel terrorist organisation. The IHH organised an aid flotilla to break the Gaza naval blockade back in 2010, but was not involved in this operation. Taoiseach Michael Martin stated that what happened to Connolly and other activists was unacceptable and illegal and promised to raise the issue at the “European Union level” [8]. Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee called for Israel to “uphold its obligations under international law,” [8] and stated she was working with Israeli authorities to secure the release of Irish citizens. Martin defended the decision not to ban imports from occupied territories, stating that the flotilla would have gone ahead anyway, but that was met with criticism from Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns, who told Martin that words of condemnation were welcome but not enough, and they needed action. Helena Kearns from Lurgan was among those detained, and Upper Bann Sinn Féin MLA John O’Dowd was among many demanding her release. Thomas Deasy was also among the Irish activists kidnapped by Israel. The US, however, has defended Israel’s actions, imposing sanctions on four people associated with “pro-Hamas flotilla” [4], and the actions of Israeli forces were praised by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who described their actions as “effectively neutralising a malicious plan designed to break the isolation we have imposed on Hamas terrorists in Gaza” [8].
11 of the Irish detainees have since been brought back home, including Connolly, who reiterated that the Israeli regime needed to be disbanded and called on the Government to take a stand against the barbaric treatment faced by the activists, which they emphasised was only a fraction of what citizens in Gaza have to go through daily. Gaza is still in disarray, with the UN stating last week that several families in Gaza were forced to find shelter in either overcrowded tents or severely damaged structures. Access to basic services also remains limited, meaning that many public health concerns have not been addressed. The UN also states that its humanitarian operations have been impaired by restrictions, with only 86% of humanitarian supplies approved by Israeli authorities entering Gaza, contradicting Israel’s claim that Gaza is ‘flooded with aid’. There is no doubt that so long as this devastating conflict continues and conditions in Gaza worsen, the Global Sumud Flotilla will continue attempting to provide aid to Gaza.
References:
[1] Sky News, “Irish President’s Sister Detained by Israel, Aid Flotilla Organisers Say,” news.sky.com, May 18, 2026, https://news.sky.com/story/irish-presidents-sister-detained-by-israel-aid-flotilla-organisers-say-13545572
[2] Maram Humaid, “‘Neither War nor Peace’: What Gaza Looks like Six Months into ‘Ceasefire,’” Al Jazeera, April 10, 2026, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/10/neither-war-nor-peace-what-gaza-looks-like-six-months-into-ceasefire
[3] Palestinian NGOs Network, “PNGO Commends Efforts of Solidarity Activists Participating in the New Global Sumud Flotilla to Break the Siege on Gaza | PNGO Portal,” PNGO Portal, March 27, 2026, https://en.pngoportal.org/post/4046/PNGO-Commends-Efforts-of-Solidarity-Activists-Participating-in-the-new-Global-Sumud-Flotilla-to-Break-the-Siege-on-Gaza
[4] David Gritten, “Israeli Forces Board Gaza-Bound Flotilla near Cyprus, Activists Say,” BBC News, May 18, 2026, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c142vz80553o
[5] @gbsumudflotilla, “Global Summed Flotilla on X,” X (formerly Twitter), 2026, https://x.com/gbsumudflotilla/status/2056743499882697003?s=20
[6] Cillian Sherlock, “Dr Margaret Connolly Describes ‘Dehumanising’ Conditions for Activists,” Belfast Telegraph, May 23, 2026, https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/republic-of-ireland/dr-margaret-connolly-describes-dehumanising-conditions-for-activists/a/152916870.html
[7] @humantiproject, “Humanti Project on Instagram,” Instagram, May 22, 2026, https://www.instagram.com/p/DYo65mUAviE/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
[8] Abigail Taylor and Gabija Gataveckaitė, “Israeli Detention of President Connolly’s Sister ‘Unacceptable’ – Irish PM,” BBC News, May 19, 2026, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8pz5nm6r8o
