A total of 430 people have been arrested, and their cases will now be handled by their respective national consulates and embassies in Israel.
Reportedly, among them is Margaret Connolly (pictured), the sister of the President of Ireland. A medical doctor by profession, she had been heading to Gaza to provide assistance to its residents. This flotilla had been attempting to break the Gaza blockade since last autumn. It is also worth noting that Irish–Israeli relations have been frozen for the past year and a half—after Ireland recognized the State of Palestine, Israel closed its embassy in Dublin.
Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited a detention facility holding pro-Palestinian activists, most of whom had arrived from Europe, reportedly to mock them. Ben-Gvir waved an Israeli flag in front of the detainees, who were kneeling and listening to the Israeli national anthem.
At the same time, Ben-Gvir made remarks along the lines of, “Look at them now,” and personally told them that they had not arrived in Palestine but in Israel, and that everything there belongs to Israel.
The video was published by Ben-Gvir himself on his X account. Judging by it, the Israeli minister appeared quite pleased with himself.