Helen McEntee 'appalled' by Israeli minister's video showing Gaza flotilla activists with hands bound

20 May 2026, 14:55 by Jane Moore, https://www.thejournal.ie/author/jane-moore/ · TheJournal.ie

LAST UPDATE | 5 mins ago

FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER Helen McEntee has said she is “appalled and shocked” by video footage posted by Israel’s national security minister that shows detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground.

The video, shared on X by Itamar Ben Gvir, was published after Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla’s vessels at sea and began detaining hundreds of foreign activists at the southern port of Ashdod.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said all of its vessels were intercepted in the Mediterranean, with those on board being forcibly detained by Israeli naval forces.

Israel said 430 activists were taken from the vessels and that “another PR flotilla has come to an end”.

Captioned “Welcome to Israel”, the footage posted by Ben Gvir shows dozens of activists on the deck of a military boat kneeling with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground with the Israeli national anthem playing in the background.

It also shows Ben Gvir heckling and waving an Israeli flag amongst the detained activists.

Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the minister’s dealing with the activists was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”

“I have instructed the relevant authorities to deport the provocateurs (activists) as soon as possible,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also criticised Ben Gvir on X, saying he had “knowingly caused harm to our State in this disgraceful display — and not for the first time.”

McEntee meanwhile said the video showed that those illegally detained are “not in any way being treated with the appropriate dignity or respect”.

She added that Ireland’s ambassador to Israel has “demanded immediate assurances that that welfare and wellbeing of all Irish citizens is safeguarded” and that they are immediately released.

This was the latest attempt by activists to breach Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory, with the last convoy intercepted by Israeli forces last month.

Dr Margaret Connolly, the sister of President Catherine Connolly, is among 13 Irish citizens on board the flotilla that was detained by Israel on Monday.

The other Irish citizens detained by Israeli forces have been named as: Colm Byrne, Michael (Mikey) Cullen, Tom Deasy, Cormac O’Daly, Joshua St Leger, Louise McCormack, Catriona Graham, Helena Kearns, Adam Fitzhenry Collier, Luke Mc Menamin, Fra Hughes, and Tara Sheehy.

In a statement, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that “this flotilla has once again proved to be nothing more than a PR stunt at the service of Hamas.”

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris condemned the detention on Tuesday, with the Fine Gael leader saying Israel was “in breach of international law”.

Shots fired at flotilla boats

In a livestreamed video posted online by the flotilla organisers on Tuesday, shots can be heard as activists stand on a boat with their hands in the air. More shots can be heard as they follow instructions to move to the front of the boat with their hands still raised.

Israel’s foreign ministry said live ammunition was not fired and no protesters were injured.

The sister of Mikey Cullen, who was detained by Israel on Tuesday, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that he texted his family at 1.50pm saying that the boat next to theirs had been intercepted, and he thought theirs would be next.

Aisling Cullen said they then watched the livestream from his ship and saw the Israeli naval forces approaching the ship before shots could be heard being fired.

“It was only when we started hearing the shots, Mikey’s live video just completely cut out, then the flotilla website just completely cut out,” she said, adding that her mother phoned the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“It just felt surreal. It was like watching a scene out of a movie, how this could be happening in international waters to humanitarian activists.”

Cullen said that as of Tuesday night, the Department of Foreign Affairs did not have information on where her brother was. She said activists detained previously were taken to the Port of Ashdod.

“Even if they were rubber bullets, he was in international waters,” she said.

He’s a humanitarian, he’s a secondary school teacher, he’s not a soldier. He was going to help people.

She said her brother felt he had to go on the flotilla because of the tens of thousands of people that have been killed by Israel in Gaza, and the lack of aid getting to the enclave.

Journalists detained

Nine Indonesian citizens who were part of the flotilla “have all been reported arrested by Israel,” a spokeswoman for Indonesia’s foreign ministry said, citing information dated Wednesday.

Indonesia called on Israel to immediately release all vessels and crew members, adding that “every diplomatic channel and consular measure will continue to be fully utilised”.

Indonesian newspaper Republika earlier said two of its journalists were among the nine Indonesians detained.

Turkey and Spain have condemned the interception.

The United States on Tuesday sanctioned four people associated with the Global Sumud Flotilla and accused them of being “pro-terrorist”.

The flotilla organisers reject these claims. They said their mission was peaceful and aimed at challenging Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, which has been in place since 2007.

Aid into the region remains largely restricted despite a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which has been in force since October.

According to the World Food Programme, at least 1.6 million people (77% of the population) in Gaza are facing high levels of acute food insecurity.

Israel, which controls all entry points into Gaza, denies withholding supplies from the occupied territory.

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