Irish pro-Palestinian activist arrested in West Bank, fights deportation order
Elderly Irish woman Máire ní Mhurchú, who is known as D Murphy, was reportedly arrested by the IDF in theWest Bank Palestinian village of Khalet al-Daba'a on Sunday night, Irish media reported on Monday.
The 70-year-oldpro-Palestinian activist was allegedly arrested alongside 48-year-old Swedish activist Susanne Björk.
The pair had been volunteering for the International Solidarity Movement when they refused IDF orders to leave the area. Irish media claimed they had initially been stopped by the Israeli military.
Israel Police reportedly detained both women for being in a closed military zone.
While Björk is set to return to Sweden, Irish media reported D Murphy is fighting against the deportation order and remains in detention at Ben-Gurion Airport.
D Murphy was also reportedly detained in 2011 by Israeli authorities.
Murphy's son, Dale Ryan, told the Irish Times: 'As far as I can see, her only crime was observing crimes against Palestinian people. D has always had a strong sense of justice, and I know she could not sit at home while she knew her friends in Masafer Yatta and all of Palestine were suffering unnecessarily.
'I am very proud of my mother for sticking up for the basic human rights of her friends and trying to raise awareness of the injustices the Palestinian people are experiencing.'
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