Conor McGregor involved in spat with Games of Thrones actor over Gaza aid boat
The yacht, which includes activist Greta Thunberg among its 12-member crew, was intercepted by Israeli authorities in the early hours of Monday morning and is now en route to a port in Israel, officials have said.
The vessel, named Madleen, is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition and was aiming to deliver aid to Gaza and raise awareness of the worsening humanitarian crisis in the region.
Madleen departed from Sicily a week ago, with Cunningham among those present at its launch.
The Dublin actor has been a vocal critic of the Irish Government's response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Arguing that the Irish Navy should protect the aid-carrying vessel, Cunningham said last week that these charity missions were doing the work governments had failed to do.
Cunningham said: "They are doing the job that we are supposed to be doing, the people who are supposed to respect international law."
"There should be a flotilla of Irish naval vessels standing up for our international law and treating international law with the respect it deserves, not this wonderful, disparate group of people who have got together to put their lives in danger because they're not being backed up.
"There should be a European force circling that boat to ensure that they get there, because that is their legal responsibility."
When news broke in the early hours of Monday morning that the flotilla had been intercepted by Israeli authorities, the 64-year-old voiced his anger on social media.
Cunningham wrote: "The Freedom flotilla was attacked during the night. The ship was rammed, boarded and the 12 volunteers kidnapped. This is more reprehensible behaviour from the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv."
In a reply to the actor's post, UFC fighter McGregor appeared to mock Cunningham for not making the journey himself.
McGregor wrote: "I thought you were on this boat Liamo, what happened? You forgot your goggles? You get sea sick off the gargle? Bottler."
Cunningham immediately shot back at McGregor, though, writing: "Didn't know you could read and write Conor. Thought you used your hands to tap out."
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said the activists on board Madleen were 'kidnapped by Israeli forces' while trying to deliver desperately needed aid to the famished territory.
'The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo — including baby formula, food and medical supplies —confiscated,' it said in a statement.
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