Margaret Connolly, sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly, is among the Irish citizens who were arrested on Monday morning by Israel while participating in the new “Gaza flotilla,” according to the organizers.

“She was traveling to Gaza to deliver aid and break the Israeli blockade, which she considers illegal. We call for Margaret’s immediate release,” the organizers wrote on their Instagram page, which also included a video of Connolly.

Organizers confirmed that Margaret Connolly, a doctor by profession, is the president’s sister, but stressed that her participation in the convoy was “entirely her own decision” and unrelated to her sister’s position as a left-wing politician (sic).

For her part, Catherine Connolly, speaking from London where she was visiting today, told reporters that she was “very concerned” about her sister and the other members of the flotilla.

According to the organizers, 8 of the 15 people involved in the mission were Irish citizens.

Spain and Ireland are among the European countries most critical of Israel’s war in Gaza. Dublin recognized Palestine as a “sovereign and independent state” in May 2024.