Socialist President of Ireland Catherine Connolly said she is “very proud” of her sister, Dr. Margaret Connolly, one of the individuals detained by Israeli forces after they intercepted a 60-vessel Gaza-bound flotilla.
President Connolly, speaking to reporters in London after visiting King Charles at Buckingham Palace on Monday, confessed she is “very proud” of her sister but worried about her current state. Connolly detailed that she has not spoken to her and has no further information beyond what has been reported.
“It seems like this happened in international waters and it’s a cause of worry really, and I’m very proud of my sister but I’m worried about her,” Connolly told reporters in Irish, per The Journal.
“In relation to, my sister it’s quite upsetting. I’m very worried about her, and I’m also very concerned about her colleagues, I haven’t really had a chance to get details,” she added, speaking in English.
Dr. Margaret Connolly is one of the reportedly six Irish nationals part of a broader 50-vessels flotilla that departed from the port of Marmaris, Turkey, seeking to sail towards Gaza with the alleged intention to deliver humanitarian aid. The Times of Israel reports that Israeli forces intercepted at least 39 of the 50 vessels as of Monday evening.
People wave and take photos from a pier as a boat departs from the port in Marmaris, Turkey, on May 14, 2026. The “Global Sumud Flotilla,” carrying international activists, aims to sail across the Mediterranean Sea to Gaza. (Murat Kocabas / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
The Israeli government had emphatically warned that it would not allow any breach of its naval blockade on Gaza and, on Monday, called upon participants of the now-intercepted flotilla to change course and turn back immediately.
In a social media post, the Israeli Foreign Ministry denounced the flotilla as a “provocation” whose purpose is to serve Hamas, divert attention from the jihadist group’s refusal to disarm, and to obstruct progress on President Donald Trump’s peace plan in the region.
In a separate post, the Israeli Foreign Minister detailed that no aid had been found on the boats and that the flotilla’s activists were “seen hugging” after being transferred to Israeli vessels.
Pre-recorded footage published by The Journal on Monday shows Dr. Connolly and the five other Irish activists part of the flotilla claim that “if you are watching this video it means that I have been kidnapped from my boat in the flotilla by the Israeli occupying forces and I’m now being held illegally in an Israeli prison.”
Taoiseach of Ireland Micheál Martin said through a brief Monday statement he “strongly condemns” Israel’s interception of the flotilla and called upon the immediate release of its activists.
“Such interceptions and detentions are wholly unacceptable and must stop,” Martin said, and added that the Irish government will discuss with EU partners on how to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its citizens.
“You are doing an outstanding job, both in the first flotilla and in this part as well, and are effectively thwarting a malicious plan intended to break the isolation we are imposing on Hamas terrorists in Gaza,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told the Israeli Navy Commander who intercepted the flotilla.
“You are doing this with great success, and I must say also, quietly, and certainly with less publicity than our enemies expected,” he continued.