TD Paul Murphy has 'no regrets' about detention in Egypt during March to Gaza

Olivia Kelleher

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, who was detained on two occasions in Egypt while participating in the Global March to Gaza, has said he has no regrets about what occurred as he believes elected representatives have a “much higher responsibility” to highlight the humanitarian crisis in the region.

Deputy Murphy, who returned to Ireland on Tuesday, told The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk that large numbers of people in Gaza are facing starvation.

“There’s huge numbers of aid trucks not being allowed in by the Israeli authorities.

“So, the idea being to highlight to the world how this is happening and how aid has been weaponised in a really extreme way – half a million people are on the verge of starvation.”

“And to try to apply pressure on the Israeli regime to lift that blockade, to allow humanitarian access.

“Also, to apply pressure to our own Governments in the west, which are complicit in the genocide.”

Deputy Murphy said that the Israeli Government is responsible for shortages of food and medicine in Gaza. However, the Israeli Government maintains that Hamas is abusing the supplies that cross over to Gaza.

The Dublin South-West TD, who was detained along with other activists before he made it to Rafah, acknowledged that what occurred was very “disappointing.”

However, he said that he hoped his arrest meant that “further attention has been shone on this issue.”

“That was really a key point, to make people aware that this is still happening [and] it’s getting worse on a daily basis,” he said.

“On Friday, it was clear we were being followed and questioned by secret police everywhere.

“Basically, there was a plan to get to a certain point and assemble to get closer and closer to Rafah.

“People got broken up into different groups; I was in a particular group that got to this place called Izmalia.

“When we got there, there were soldiers there to take our passports, to hold us there, to detain us there and to drag us away.”

Deputy Murphy claims that some “very nasty tactics” were then inflicted on other activists.

“The lights would be turned off and not police would be allowed in - hired thugs of the regime,” he said.

“To go in and whip people and stuff - so, quite brutal behaviour.”

Deputy Murphy vowed to continue his campaigning for the Palestinian cause.

“I think all of us, not just politicians, have a duty to stop the genocide that’s happening.

“But I think there’s a much higher responsibility on those in the public eye, with public profiles.

“If they can use those profiles to raise awareness about what’s happening, to increase pressure on both the Israeli Government and Governments in the west.

“I think it’s the right thing to do, even if there’s a certain risk involved.”