Independent TD and author among Irish citizens on board flotilla ships intercepted by Israel
Author Naoise Dolan, Independent TD Barry Heneghan and activist Mette Nielsen on board a Thousand Madleens Gaza aid boat. Picture: Thousand Madleens Denmark/Instagram
An Irish author and TD are among the people aboard an aid ship that was intercepted by Israel off the coast of Gaza overnight.
All seven participants on the ship, the Milad, were "illegally kidnapped", the organisers of the flotilla said.
Flotilla organisers Thousand Madleens said that the interception was by the Israeli military in international waters. All nine ships in the flotilla have been intercepted.
Independent TD Barry Heneghan and author Naoise Dolan are among the detainees. It is understood that five Irish citizens in total were a part of the flotilla.
Milad was part of an eight-strong fleet which took to the water in Sicily as part of a joint operation from Thousand Madleens and the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
Another ship in the flotilla, the Conscience, was intercepted alongside the Milad.
It had two more Irish people on board.
A spokesperson for Ms Dolan said: “Her family and friends are monitoring the situation closely and her legal team has already mobilised.
"There are no communications with the boat or flotilla members at the moment."
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which is tracking a number of Gaza aid flotillas, explained: "While it was sailing, in peace, in accordance with international law, outside Israeli jurisdiction.
The Department of Foreign Affairs have been contacted for comment.
In a statement on X, Israel's foreign ministry said the vessels and the passengers have been transferred to an Israeli port. It said: "All the passengers are safe and in good health. The passengers are expected to be deported promptly."
It comes as five Irish activists who were held in Israel after their Gaza aid vessels were intercepted arrived back in Dublin on Tuesday.
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 that was detained last week arrived at Dublin Airport on Tuesday afternoon.
Five more, including Senator Chris Andrews, arrived back in Dublin in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
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