Irish president condemns abduction of sister from Gaza aid flotilla by Israel

The Irish president, Catherine Martina Ann Connolly, has denounced her sister’s abduction from the Gaza-bound Sumud Flotilla by the Israeli regime’s armed forces.

“It is quite upsetting, and I am very worried about her, and I am also very concerned about her colleagues on board,” Connolly told reporters on Tuesday, adding that she is “very proud” of her sister.

Margaret Connolly is one of at least six Irish citizens aboard a vessel that was part of the Sumud Spring Flotilla carrying aid to the besieged enclave.

The Israeli forces seized the vessel along with 10 other boats off the coast of Cyprus.

The organizers of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) said 10 ships are still sailing towards Gaza after Israeli forces intercepted 41 of its boats in international waters.

GSF reported on Monday that Israeli troops encircled the ships when they were 250 nautical miles from Gaza’s coast, abducting some 300 activists on board.

GSF condemned the operation as “another illegal, high-seas aggression,” saying the occupying regime “continues to demonstrate a systematic disregard for international maritime law, freedom of navigation on the high seas, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

Ten countries condemn Israel’s attack on Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla

“These attacks, including assaults on vessels and the arbitrary detention of activists, constitute a clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law,” the countries said.

In a statement released on May 8, 2026, GSF said testimonies gathered from released activists indicated “a pattern of severe physical and sexual violence and systematic degradation” by the Israeli armed forces.

The abducted activists were subjected to deliberate deprivation tactics, including exposure to cold conditions, confiscation of warm clothing, and inadequate access to food, water, and bedding, resulting in cases of hypothermia and hyperthermia, the statement added.

The Sumud Spring Flotilla set sail from France, Spain, and Italy on April 12, 2026, to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

Israeli forces also intercepted the flotilla’s first voyage last year off the coasts of Egypt and Gaza.

The Israeli regime controls all entry points into the Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli blockade since 2007.

Since Israel launched its genocidal assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023, it has killed nearly 72,800 Palestinians and wounded at least 172,704 others, most of them children and women.

The death toll in Gaza has continued to rise from Israeli attacks carried out despite a ceasefire agreement that officially took effect in October 2025.

Furthermore, the Israeli regime has destroyed Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, sports facilities, power plants, water reservoirs, and residential areas.

The people of Gaza have become refugees in their own besieged territory, completely dependent on foreign aid that rarely enters the region due to Israeli blockades.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned in its latest situation report on Gaza that the humanitarian situation remains “extremely dire,” with “most people displaced and exposed to continued health and environmental risks.”

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk