Ireland’s president worried about sister detained by ‘Israel’

• Ireland’s president says she is “very worried” about her sister detained by ‘Israeli’ forces
• Margaret Connolly was aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted at sea
• The incident may deepen tensions between Ireland and ‘Israel’

Ireland’s President Catherine Connolly said Monday she was “very worried” about her sister, Margaret Connolly, after ‘Israeli’ forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla carrying pro-Palestine activists in the Mediterranean Sea.

Margaret Connolly, a general practitioner from Sligo in northwest Ireland, was among several Irish activists detained after ‘Israeli’ troops boarded vessels linked to the Global Sumud Flotilla, according to organizers.

Speaking during an official visit to the United Kingdom, President Connolly said she was “very proud” of her sister while expressing concern over her wellbeing.

Read more: Sister of Irish President detained by 'Israel' on Freedom Flotilla

“I’m also very worried about her,” the Irish president said following a meeting with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.

“I haven’t really had a chance to get details in relation to my sister and indeed, equally importantly, her colleagues on the boat,” she added.

The flotilla group said ‘Israeli’ naval forces intercepted multiple vessels south of Cyprus and north of Gaza as activists attempted to deliver aid to the besieged Gaza Strip.

The incident could further strain already tense relations between Ireland and ‘Israel’. In 2024, ‘Israel’ closed its embassy in Dublin following Ireland’s recognition of Palestinian statehood and accusations that ‘Israel’ committed genocidal crimes in Gaza.

Earlier Monday, the ‘Israeli’ Foreign Ministry described the flotilla as “a provocation for the sake of provocation,” accusing participants of attempting to divert attention from regional developments and US President Donald Trump’s peace plan.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs said it was “actively monitoring” developments surrounding the flotilla and the detained activists.

Before communications were cut, flotilla organizers released a pre-recorded message from Margaret Connolly.

“If you are watching this video, it means I have been kidnapped from my boat in the flotilla by the Israeli occupying forces,” she said in the clip while holding her Irish passport.

“The cause of Palestine is the moral compass of our time,” she added.