Tadhg Hickey: Israeli treatment was the most 'inhumane that he had ever seen'

Tadhg Hickey, one of the Irish citizens detained by Israel following the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, is welcomed home by well-wishers as he arrives at Dublin Airport. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Five Irish activists who were held in Israel after their vessels in a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza were intercepted, have arrived back in Dublin.

The group said that they were “denied access to water, medical care and legal aid” after being detained while attempting to provide humanitarian support to the people of Gaza.

Five of the 15 Irish citizens who had been aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla arrived at Dublin Airport on Tuesday afternoon.

Dozens of people including family members, friends, and supporters gathered at arrivals to welcome home the pro-Palestinian activists.

Cork comedian Tadhg Hickey said their treatment was the most “inhumane that he had ever seen in his life”.

He said: “For the crime of trying to get baby formula into a besieged population to try and feed starving babies, we were brought to effectively a terrorist prison camp, denied any access to lawyers, denied any access to doctors, to medical care.

“One of us, Paddy [Kelly], a 75-year-old man, was denied access to insulin. They never gave him his insulin over three or four days, knowing that easily he could die because of that.

“We were drinking toilet water for three or four days.”

Another of the group, Diarmuid Mac Dubhghlais, said they were treated as if they had “no rights”.

He said: “There were Israeli dogs barking and attacking Palestinian prisoners that were treated much, much worse than us.

“Whatever technology the Israelis had, disabled the electronic acceleration, so we were dead in the water.

“They knew we were coming.”

Global Movement to Gaza Eire, the group supporting the flotilla from Ireland, hit out at the “Irish Government’s inaction over the genocide in Palestine”

Niamh MacNamara, coordinator with Global Movement to Gaza Eire said: “Our government’s inaction over the genocide and ethic cleansing in Palestine has directly led to this situation, ordinary Irish citizens forced to risk their lives because leaders refused to act.

“What happened was completely illegal under international law and should never have been allowed.

“If Ireland had imposed sanctions on the genocidal state of Israel and upheld human rights, this mission would never have been necessary.

“We demand immediate political action to protect those still sailing to Gaza and to end our complicity in this genocide.”

Some of the group of 15 Irish citizens who were detained returned to Ireland on an earlier flight while more are expected to return in the early hours of Thursday.

They are Caitriona Graham, Sinn Féin senator Chris Andrews, Colm Byrne, Cormac O’Daly, Diarmuid MacDubhghlais, Donna Schwarz, Louise Heaney, Maureen Almai, Paddy Kelly, Patrick O’Donovan, Sarah Clancy, Tadhg Hickey, Tara O’Grady, Tara Sheehy, and Thomas McCune.