A spokesperson for the group said 22 Irish people are involved in the flotilla and described it as a “a peaceful humanitarian mission bringing aid and aiming to break the siege on Gaza”.

They said their boats were in international waters off the coast of the Greek island Crete when Israeli authorities “rammed” and boarded their vessels.

Irish participants from illegal Israeli aggression”.

Seven Irish participants were taken “along with hundreds of others” Karen Moynihan, head of the Irish Global Sumud Delegation, said.

“They attacked the flotilla, rammed boats, boarded boats with guns” she added.

“People were forcibly removed, they were kidnapped.

“We do not know where they are right now.” 

The Irish citizens who were taken have been named as Catriona Graham, Fiacc O’Brolchain, Robert Murphy, Colm Byrne, Martin Guilfoyle, Michael Fix and John Connellan.

President Catherine Connolly’s sister is part of the flotilla, but is not believed to be among the activists being held.

A video of Dr Margaret Connolly, on board a boat, was posted to Instagram on Wednesday night along with a caption which said “surrounding boats” were being intercepted.

In the video she says “please call for our release, the release of all Palestinian hostages, should we be attacked and abducted tonight”.

'This is piracy'

The Global Sumud Flotilla have organised a protest outside Leinster House on Thursday evening to call on the Government to “do everything they can to protect the safe passage of the humanitarian mission, and protect

The vessels were seized by Israel hundreds of miles from Gaza, according to the organisers, Global Sumud Flotilla.

"This is piracy," the group said ⁠in a statement. 

"This is the unlawful seizure of human beings ​on the open sea near Crete, an assertion that Israel can operate ​with total impunity, far beyond its own borders, with no consequences."

No state had the right to claim, police, or occupy international waters, but Israel had done that, extending its control outward to the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Europe, it added.

Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said the flotilla "was stopped before reaching our area".

In a posting on X, he added, "Our brave IDF soldiers are acting with professionalism and determination, dealing with a group of delusional attention-seeking agitators," referring to the Israeli military.

Israel's military halted a ​previous flotilla assembled ​by the same ⁠organisation last October in an attempt to reach blockaded Gaza, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more ​than 450 participants, including Cork's Tadhg Hickey and other Irish activists.

Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies withholding supplies for its residents, numbering more than two million.

However, Palestinians and international aid bodies say supplies reaching the territory are still insufficient, despite a ceasefire reached in October that included guarantees of increased aid.

 - Reuters and Press Association