The Chair of the Irish Red Cross, Charlie Flanagan, has issued an apology for the 'tone' of a tweet in which he referred to Dublin TD Paul Murphy's journey to Egypt as a 'circus'. Flanagan, a former Minister for Justice, responded to a video posted by Murphy, who was detained by Egyptian authorities, calling for his immediate release.

In the video, Murphy urged people to contact Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris, as well as the Egyptian authorities, to help secure their release. Flanagan's tweet sparked significant backlash online, with fellow party member Ruth Coppinger describing it as 'shocking'.

After facing criticism, Flanagan later tweeted expressing regret for the insensitivity of his initial post, emphasizing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and his support for the free flow of aid. Murphy has since been released from detention and is discussing the next steps for their march in Egypt.

Speaking from Egypt, Murphy emphasized the importance of their mission to end the forced starvation in Gaza, highlighting the collective effort of thousands of individuals involved.