LAST UPDATE | 25 Sep 2025

A FLOTILLA FEATURING Irish activists is continuing to Palestine today after drones dropped explosive devices on some of its boats on Tuesday night.

Organisers of the flotilla, which aims to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip by breaking Israel’s blockade of the region, say they are concerned that they may face increased Israeli attacks as they move out of Greece’s search and rescue area and into international waters. 

The flotilla organisers held a press conference online today which they said was going “to alert the international community of credible intelligence that Israel is likely to escalate violent attacks on the flotilla within the next 48 hours”.

However, when asked about the intelligence, the organisers provided few details other than outlining what Israel has said about the flotilla and the pattern of previous attacks.

The organisers called on governments and international bodies to intervene and ensure the flotilla’s safe passage through the Mediterranean. 

Tuesday night’s attack off the coast of Greece, which appeared designed to intimidate the people on board the boats, prompted both Italy and Spain to dispatch navy vessels to assist their citizens and politicians taking part in the voyage. 

Israel did not claim responsibility but has described the flotilla as “serving Hamas” and promised to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza. 

The attack was condemned by Tánaiste Simon Harris and the UN also called for an investigation. 

The attack on the flotilla and the safety of the Irish participants was raised in the Dáil today. 

People before Profit TD Paul Murphy asked what the government was doing to protect the Irish people on board the boats, of which there are 22, including Sinn Féin senator Chris Andrews. 

Finance Minister Paschal Donohue said the Tánaiste had been in contact with the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and that he suggested a collective EU response to the situation. 

Murphy asked if the government would send an observer to join the flotilla’s legal support boat, which is accompanying the activists but is not attempting to break the Israeli blockade. 

“I’m not asking you to send a ship,” Murphy said.

Donohue said that he would bring the idea to the Department of Foreign Affairs. 

He also said he was “well aware” of the risks facing those participating in the voyage and that they deserve the protection of international law. He added that Department of Foreign Affairs officials are now in “direct contact” with the flotilla organisers. 

After Murphy mentioned that Israel has sought to characterise the activists as terrorists, Donohue said that he had “no doubt whatsoever”that they were motivated by “their human response to what is happening in Gaza”

Murphy also criticised the government for not taking action but Donohie said that diplomacy is a form of action.

“Diplomacy is the way we conduct our affairs,” he said.

“Words are not powerless. Words are our means of action and our means of influence.”

At the beginning of the session Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said that his party had sought to bring a motion today that would have condemned Tuesday night’s attack, but the Leas Ceann Comhairle said that it was a matter for Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy. 

Donohue said he could not commit to supporting the motion until he had seen the text.