‘Send her home’: Son of Irish woman, 70, in Israeli detention pleads for her release

The son of a 70-year-old Irish woman currently in Israeli detention has pleaded for her release amid concerns over his mother’s health.

Deirdre Murphy, who has eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, was detained in the recently demolished West Bank village of Khalet al-Daba’a. According to the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), she has not been provided legal counsel since Monday.

Ms Murphy, who is originally from Cork and now based in Swansea, was arrested alongside 48-year-old Swedish national Susanne Björk, who claimed to The Independent that the pair had to “fight to even be allowed to go to the toilet” during their detention.

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“Who doesn’t allow a 70-year-old woman to go to the toilet? It’s certainly not something a democratic country would be doing,” said UK resident Ms Björk, who has already been deported from Israel. Israeli police did not address this claim when approached by The Independent.

Ms Björk said allegations by Israeli police that they had failed to show their IDs and were in a prohibited area were false.

International and local activists have been stationed in Khalet al-Daba’a since its demolition on 5 May in an attempt to prevent nearby Israeli settlers from damaging the remaining buildings.

After refusing to leave Israel voluntarily, Ms Murphy and Ms Björk were arrested and told they would be deported. Ms Murphy decided to challenge the deportation order.

Dale Ryan, Ms Murphy’s son, has called on Israeli authorities to “treat her with dignity and respect” while she is in detention – and pleaded with authorities to “send her home quickly”.

“Israel is meant to be a civilised country, so you think [the detainees] basic rights would have been met. But maybe that trust is a little bit misguided,” said Mr Ryan, 46, who added that he is “really proud” of his mother.

He explained that his mother has bronchiectasis, a long-term condition that can cause inflammation of the airways. “Stress can make symptoms worse as well,” Mr Ryan explained. “So I am a little bit concerned. I just hope my mother's in good health, but also my mother is quite a resilient person… I know she will gain strength from this.”

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Along with other activists, Ms Björk and Ms Murphy were filming settlers they claim were roaming the demolished landscape of Khalet al-Daba’a, grazing their sheep and damaging the homes that remain standing.

The two women were complying with an order to leave the land when they were apprehended by a settler in military uniform who demanded to see their passports, Ms Björk said.

After police were called, the pair were detained, as authorities accused them of being in a restricted area and of failing to show their IDs.

“These are completely false accusations,” Ms Björk said. “As soon as they told us we were not allowed in the area, we tried to leave. The soldiers had at first our passports, and then the police took our passports. We complied with all instructions.”

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Video footage seen and published by The Independent shows armed Israeli authorities in possession of the two women's passports. The video ends before the pair left the area, where they were then apprehended by the settler in military uniform.

Ms Murphy and Ms Björk were released on Saturday evening, and after declining to voluntarily leave the country on Sunday, they were told they would be detained for 72 hours and deported after a hearing. Ms Murphy chose to fight the deportation and was moved to Givon prison in Ramla on Tuesday, according to the ISM.

The group alleges that Ms Murphy was brought to her deportation hearing on Wednesday without legal representation nor notification to her lawyer, despite her request.

Speaking on Thursday morning, Ms Björk was keen to emphasise that their treatment in detention was better than that of Palestinians. She recalls seeing two “small boys who were blindfolded and ziptied” being brought into the police station after their initial detention.

“They looked about 13 or 14, these boys were obviously terrified. I mean, we were getting water and being fed and everything, so we're very privileged in one way, because the way we were treated and the way Palestinians are treated is wildly different,” she said.

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A spokesperson from the Irish foreign ministry confirmed to The Independent that they were aware of the case and were providing consular assistance.

Israeli police told The Independent that the women were detained on “suspicion of violating a military order” and were therefore restricted from the West Bank for 15 days.

“Over the weekend, police received a report from the security coordinator of the community of Ma’on regarding the presence of several suspicious individuals near a structure in the area of Khirbet al-Dab’a, located within an active military firing zone near the community of Avigayil in the South Hebron Hills,” they said in a statement.

“Officers from the Hebron station, along with IDF forces from the subdistrict, arrived at the scene and identified the individuals as two foreign nationals, who were present within the closed military zone in violation of a standing military order. Information provided by the Judea and Samaria Central Investigations Unit indicated that one of the suspects is known abroad for involvement in anti-Israel activity.

“Following the hearing on Sunday, it was determined that both individuals would be removed from the country,” they added. “One of the suspects agreed to the removal order and signed a declaration stating that she would not appeal the decision. The second notified authorities of her intent to file a petition against the decision.”

Ms Murphy will remain in custody at Givon until “her departure or the legal resolution of her appeal”, they said.