‘They denied us sleep, they wouldn’t let us go to the toilet’
The Irish activist was deported from Israel along with hundreds more this week after a humanitarian convoy of six ships tried to break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory.
At least six Irish citizens were travelling home last night after Israel deported more than 690 of the remaining detained activists yesterday.
Among the Irish are journalist Paul McGeough, 56, historian Fintan Lane, 43, former election candidate Fiachra O’Luain, 28, Irish-American Kenneth O’Keefe, Irish-Libyan Almahedi Al Harati and an Irish-Turkish citizen Nabil Hillaq.
Speaking yesterday, Mr Dillon described the dramatic moment whenIsraeli forces circled the aid flotilla. He said crew members aboard his ship Challenger I were injured by commandos during the attack. He described how the detainees were denied sleep and other basic human rights when they were taken ashore.
The 36-year-old went on: “They boarded our vessel with force. They were firing with taser guns, they hit journalists with tasers. They fired paintball bullets at people.
“They used the back of their rifles on people. They smashed a glass door. They had people on the deck and they were standing on them on this broken glass.”
The small Challenger I vessel had closed ranks with the flotilla while Israeli war ships came alongside in the dark waters of early Monday morning when the convoy was raided, Mr Dillon said.
Activists told inquiring Israeli forces by radio there was “no military intent” with the mission. The Israelis told the convoy it was entering a combat zone.
Suddenly while nearing the coast of Gaza, electronic equipment was jammed.
“We closed in together and there was less than a cable between each vessel,” added Mr Dillon.
An army helicopter hovered overhead while flares were fired into the sky, he said.
Mr Dillon said commandos broke one female journalist’s nose by firing a high-powered paint ball gun at point blank range while other activists were roughed up and reporters had their equipment broken.
“They didn’t want the world to see what was happening on this boat,” said Mr Dillon.
The former merchant ship officer denied activists were carrying weapons on the ships. Items like knives and hammers were on board to service vessels for the several hundred passengers.
Detainees were treated badly when brought ashore to Israel, he added.
“I was refused sleep while I was kept in the detention centre. They kept the lights on, they played music. They refused us permission to go to the toilet. They were generally unkind and unpleasant.”
Mr Dillon said his family was relieved to have him home but that he would do it “all over again”.
TD Chris Andrews – one of three Irish politicians blocked by Cyprian authorities from boarding the Gaza-bound flotilla – reiterated his call for the Israeli ambassador to Ireland to be expelled following the aid ship attacks.
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