Detained flotilla activists have been released by Israeli authorities, lawyer says

LAST UPDATE | 1 hr ago

ISRAEL HAS RELEASED illegally detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla after widespread condemnation of a video showing the activists with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with David McCullagh, lawyer for detainees Suhad Bishara said the activists will travel to Turkey, and from there to their home countries.

The lawyer said all Irish citizens detained by Israel have been released.

She said twelve are due to leave via Turkey today, including Margaret Connolly, sister of President Catherine Connolly.

The remaining three Irish citizens “are being deported in a different route”.

The lawyer said the treatment of the detained activists had been “severe” and that three had been hospitalised before being released. 

“Many complained of humiliation, some complained of sexual harassment,” Bishara said. 

Caoimhe Butterly, a human rights campaigner who sailed with the flotilla for five weeks on a support and observer vessel, said she expects that all 430 detainees will be on three different chartered flights to Turkey and are expected to arrive this evening.

“They’re expected to be supported by a series of medical and psychological checks on arrival and representatives from the various different governments and consular services will meet them at the airport.

“There’s an expectation that they most probably will be booked back on flights to their countries of origin tomorrow”.

Butterly said a legal team had had access to the detainees at Ashdod Port last night.

“The testimonies that they gathered spoke to a systematic use of physical and psychological violence and also references to sexual humiliation.

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“There were three hospitalisations of people who were hit by rubber bullets in the interception and also reports of broken ribs – with other people who had not received medical attention at all out there”.

Butterly added that neither she nor the team had any direct contact with the Irish detainees. 

“We’re reliant on the feedback of the reports from the legal team, which again attests to physical violence being used, but it doesn’t specify which participants were affected by this yet”.

She continued, “What we do know is that there was use of both stress positions for prolonged periods of time, sleep deprivation and lack of access to water for long periods on the prison cargo ship”.

A video of the bound activists, which was shared by Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, was published after Israel’s naval forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla’s vessels in international waters and brought the 430 activists to Israel.

The video in question was captioned “Welcome to Israel”, as the footage shows dozens of activists on the deck of a military boat kneeling with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground with the Israeli national anthem playing in the background.

It also shows Ben Gvir heckling and waving an Israeli flag amongst the activists. Catriona Graham, one of at least 13 Irish activists that were detained by Israel, can be seen being pulled to the ground after saying “free Palestine” at the start of the video. 

Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee released a statement this morning on the issue. 

“I am continuing to monitor closely the situation concerning our citizens currently in Israeli custody. At present, our citizens are being held at Ktziot detention centre, having been transferred there overnight from the port of Ashdod”, she said.  

She continued, “While consular access has not yet been granted, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv remain on the ground and stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance and support as soon as access is permitted”. 

“We expect that, later today, our citizens will be deported to Türkiye, where they will be met by representatives from our Embassy in Türkiye to ensure continuity of support and assistance upon arrival”. 

Speaking to RTÉ, McEntee was asked about passing the Occupied Territories Bill, which she replied, “We gave a commitment very clearly in our programme for government that we would, and I’m saying here now that we will. I will bring forward and publish the occupied territories bill in the coming weeks.”

She acknowledged the significance of enacting this bill, “when you look at goods in particular over the last number of years, there been about 600,000 euros worth of goods traded with the illegal occupied territories. If you look at the preferential treatment through the EU Israel Association agreement – that is worth billions – so the impact that you have on the Israeli government and the possibility of changing their actions is far stronger when we act in unison”. 

However, she was questioned about the likelihood of this bill passing at the European Commission, which she replied, “I believe the tide has turned, [...] the countries that wouldn’t have even considered this a few months ago are now openly saying we need a vote on this, and I’m working now to bring this to a vote so we can have this act”. 

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