Irish activist says he had gun pointed in his face on Gaza flotilla

A screengrab from one of the cameras onboard showing the interception of one of the vessels in the flotilla. Picture: eire_globalsumud

An Irish activist has claimed he had a gun pointed in his face when he was detained by Israeli forces after the boat he was sailing on in an attempt to bring aid to Gaza was intercepted.

Some of the 175 activists onboard the Global Sumud Flotilla reportedly required hospital treatment after they were detained by Israeli forces on Wednesday.

Allegations that some activists were beaten by Israeli forces have been made.

Martin Guilfoyle, 75, who is originally from Clare, returned home from Greece on Saturday.

He was below deck preparing for his shift on Wednesday evening when he heard “a load of commotion and shouting” outside.

“I had a gun put in my face," Mr Guilfoyle said. “I kept calm.

“I asked for my glasses and hearing aid, but I was just dragged,” he told RTÉ.

“We were shouted at, there were guns everywhere. Then I was shoved down, I landed hard on my right hip,” Mr Guilfoyle said.

“I felt calm in myself, but I was bricking it as well because we didn’t know what was coming next.” 

He said he was told to sit down and keep his hands on his head.

“If you looked at someone you were given a shove," he said. “It was all about intimidation.” 

 The activists were taken onto a high speed RIB and were transferred to another vessel.

People detaining the activist had Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) insignia on their jackets, he said. The IOF is a unit in Israel’s army which controls occupied Palestinian territories and operates in regional conflicts.

The activists were transferred to a "prison boat" and were forced to kneel on a wet, rough deck with their hands on their heads, Mr Guilfoyle said.

“We were kept on the deck, they took our jackets and passports.

“There was no comfort [...] I sat in one position. I’m 75.” 

'It’s genocide. And they’re refusing to allow aid in'

They were detained on Wednesday night and were only released from the vessels on Friday morning, Mr Guilfoyle said.

“One thousand kilometres into international waters you don’t expect to be kidnapped and treated badly,” he said.

“Under the Geneva Convention, it’s a war crime to prevent humanitarian aid reaching a war zone. Over 20,000 innocent children have been murdered, over 70,000 Palestinians have been murdered in Gaza.

“It’s genocide. And they’re refusing to allow aid in. There are people starving. All the flotilla was trying to do is bring aid in.” 

More than 20 Irish citizens, including Margaret Connolly, sister of President Catherine Connolly, sailed on the international flotilla across the Mediterranean in an attempt to deliver aid to Gaza.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has condemned Israel’s interception of the flotilla in international waters.

He said that he will raise the issue in Europe.

"Israel has to abide by international law and the rule of law," he said earlier this week.

Although Irish activists have now been released, a Spanish and Brazilian activist are still being held by Israeli authorities.

An Israeli court extended their detention by two days, their lawyer said on Sunday.

Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national, and Brazilian Thiago Avila were detained by Israeli authorities late on Wednesday and brought to Israel, while more ​than 100 other pro-Palestinian activists aboard the boats were taken to the ​Greek island of Crete.

A court spokesperson confirmed that their remand ⁠had been extended until May 5.

The governments of Spain and Brazil issued a ​joint statement on Friday calling their detention illegal.

The activists were part of a second ​Global Sumud flotilla, launched in an attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian assistance. The ships had set sail from Barcelona on April 12.

Israeli authorities requested a ​four-day extension of their arrest on suspicion of offences that include assisting the ​enemy during wartime, contact with a foreign agent, membership in and providing services to a ‌terrorist ⁠organisation, and the transfer of property for a terrorist organisation, said rights group Adalah, which is assisting in the activists' defence.

Hadeel Abu Salih, the men's attorney, said that the two deny the allegations. Their arrest was unlawful due ​to a lack of ​jurisdiction, she told ⁠Reuters at the Ashkelon Magistrate's Court after the hearing, adding that the mission was meant to provide aid to ​civilians in Gaza, not to any militant group.

Abu Salih said ​that Abu ⁠Keshek and Avila were subjected to violence en route to Israel and kept handcuffed and blindfolded until Thursday morning.

Additional reporting by Reuters.