Deported flotilla activist from Belfast returns home

A Belfast man who was on board a flotilla bringing aid to Gaza has said the journey was "exhausting and worrying".

Fra Hughes, the director of Palestine Aid, travelled on a boat with six people as part of the flotilla which was intercepted by Israeli soldiers.

Hundreds took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) which was intercepted on Monday and its organisers said by Tuesday evening all the activists had been detained.

Hughes was one of 11 Irish citizens who arrived at Dublin airport on Saturday after being deported by Israel.

"We had six people on the boat – so you get six hours off, so you try and get some sleep, but the engine is on all the time, when you are not using the sails – so you are trying to sleep, but you just hear the constant humming of the engines," Hughes said.

"It was exhausting, it was tiring – it was worrying, but I had already made the mental decision - and the emotional decision, before I left Belfast, that I would take it one day at a time, until I got home – regardless of how long that would be and what would happen."

Among the Irish citizens deported was Dr Margaret Connolly, sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly.

The Irish activists were sent to Turkey on Friday, before being flown to Ireland.

In total, 14 Irish people were among hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists who were detained in Israel.

In a statement, a spokesman for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "All foreign activists from the PR flotilla have been deported from Israel.

"Israel will not permit any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza."

More than 50 boats taking part in the GSF set sail from Turkey carrying a token amount of aid. 430 people from more than 40 countries were on board.

Israel dismissed the action as a "PR stunt at the service of Hamas".

There was an international backlash in response to a video posted by Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, showing him taunting activists kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs.

Fra told BBC News NI that he was asleep in another area when the incident happened.

"We ended up in what some people describe as tents - because they had canvas on the outside – it was metal in the inside with metal beds – so I call them cages," he said.

"We had three cages – I was in the second one – he [Ben- Givir] went in the first . I was fast asleep, I didn't even know he was there - In fact, I only found out yesterday morning before I left, when people were talking in the hotel before we went to Istanbul airport to fly to Dublin."

Hughes said the group was trained in non-violence.

"There is enough violence inherent within the system, without us potentially making it worse," he added.

"Catriona is the girl who did have the courage to shout free Palestine at Ben-Gvir and I spoke to her, and she told me afterwards she was taken into a room with eight Israeli soldiers.

"They just trailed her away and she had that experience of not knowing what was going to happen next."

In a statement on his X account, the Taoiseach (Irish prime minster) Micheál Martin said he was "appalled at the shocking behaviour" of Ben-Gvir.

Speaking after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Thursday, Martin said there was "a lot of anger" across the EU at the video.

He said it had "shocked the world" and "accelerated" the mood at EU level for action against Israel.

Ben-Gvir's actions also drew rare criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said they were "not in line with Israel's values".

The Gaza war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 Octover, 2023, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, during which more than 72,300 people have been killed, according to the territory's health ministry.