Ronan McGreevy
Israel’s detention of vessels involved in the Global Sumad Flotilla has been widely condemned by European countries.
Both Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez and the Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni described the seizure of the vessels as “unlawful” and called for all their nationals to be released by the Israelis.
Seven Irish citizens are being held by Israel after boats from the flotilla were intercepted in international waters off of Crete, Greece, on Wednesday, the flotilla’s organisers said.
Margaret Connolly, the sister of President Catherine Connolly, was among the 22 Irish people on the boats. She is not among the seven whose identity has so far been revealed.
Sánchez said Israel was violating international law by “assaulting a civilian flotilla in waters that do not belong to it.
“Our Government is doing everything necessary to protect and assist the detained Spaniards.”
Italy condemns Israel’s seizure of aid ships bound for Gaza and demands the immediate release of all Italians who have been “unlawfully detained,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office said on Thursday.
The Germany and Italy’s foreign ministries issued a joint statement saying they were following developments with “deep concern”.
The statement, which did not mention Israel by name, called for “full respect of international law” and avoidance of “irresponsible actions,” adding that the two countries were committed to guaranteeing the safety of their citizens.
Israel intercepted the vessels in international waters near Greece late on Wednesday, a move the organisers — Global Sumud Flotilla — called an act of piracy against boats carrying humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave.
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said in a statement that Israel had “successfully blocked attempts to breach the lawful naval blockade on Gaza and the arrival of vessels from the provocative flotilla, including last night.
“All participants in the provocative flotilla who were taken off the vessels were taken off unharmed. In coordination with the Greek government, the individuals transferred from the flotilla vessels to the Israeli vessel will be disembarked on a Greek beach in the coming hours.”
Sa’ar said the Greek government will receive the flotilla participants and he recommended that those “not interested in provocations but rather in humanitarian aid to Gaza” to do so through President Trump’s Board of Peace.
The current flotilla departed Barcelona on April 12th. Organisers said it was intercepted in international waters. Crete is more than 800km from Israel.
In late 2025, a previous iteration of the flotilla, which aims to circumvent Israeli controls on goods entering Gaza by providing aid by sea, was intercepted. Those on-board, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and several Irish citizens, were detained by Israeli forces and ultimately deported from Israel.
An Irish spokeswoman for the Global Sumud Flotilla, has said that seven Irish citizens have been “kidnapped by the Israeli forces in international waters”.
The seven activists identified have been named as Fiacc Ó Brolcháin, Martin Guilfoyle, Colm Byrne, Robert Murphy, Caitriona Graham, John Connellan and Michael Fix.
Ó Brolcháin, from south Dublin, is a sailor with more than 50 years of experience at sea. Martin Guillfoyle, originally from Clare but now based in the UK, is the uncle of the Co Clare Sinn Féin Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle.
Michael Fix is an American and Irish citizen with family from Galway and Mayo. He was previously detained by Israel on the 2025 Freedom Flotilla with Greta Thunberg and released on October 7th. Caitriona Graham, an activist from Dublin, was also on the 2025 fleet.
Colm Byrne is from north Kildare, while Robert Murphy is from Finglas.
Five of the group had pre-recorded videos to be released in the event of the capture of their boats by Israeli forces. These were shared on the Instagram of the Irish delegation of the Global Sumud Flotilla on Thursday morning.
The seven detainees are among the 22 Irish people, aged between their 20s and their 70s, according to the organisers, on the flotilla.
The remaining boats are anchored near Crete at present due to stormy conditions and are expected to resume their journey next week.
Catherine Connolly said she was “very conscious of arrests that have been made of Irish citizens (among other citizens) on the flotilla”.
The President was speaking to members of the diaspora the Global Irish Civic Forum taking place in Croke Park on Thursday.
On Wednesday night, the President said criticism of links between the University of Galway and Israel institutions could not be ignored.
In a speech delivered to the alumni organisation of her alma mater in Dublin, she called for reflection on the nature of ties between Irish institutions and those of States and organisations carrying out violations of human rights.
The text of her speech, published on the Aras an Uachtairain website, reads: “In this regard I know that staff and students of the University of Galway have raised serious concerns over ties between the university and educational institutions in Israel”
“These concerns cannot be ignored, given our obligations under national and international law.”
The University of Galway has said it will not participate in any new institutional research agreements involving direct Israeli partners in the future in response to the conflict in Gaza.
However, the university told staff and students last September that it would continue its involvement as a co-ordinating partner in an existing €3.9 million research project also involving an academic institution in Israel.
Margaret Connolly at Dublin Castle for the presidential inauguration of Catherine Connolly last year. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien
Margaret Connolly, a GP from Sligo, is one of the President’s 13 siblings. In an interview with The Sligo Champion before her departure, Connolly said: “I have joined the flotilla because we cannot stand by while millions are subjected to forced starvation and an illegal siege.”
Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies withholding supplies for its two million residents.
Israel’s United Nations envoy, Danny Danon, said the flotilla “was stopped before reaching our area”.
In a posting on X, he added, “Our brave [Israel Defense Forces] soldiers are acting with professionalism and determination dealing with a group of delusional attention-seeking agitators.”