Irish citizen Deirdre 'D' Murphy is facing a deportation order after being arrested by Israeli authorities in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian-led International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

Murphy, 70, is a native of Co Cork but is now based in Swansea, Wales. Since last month, she has been volunteering with ISM, which describes itself as being committed to resisting oppression and dispossession of the Palestinian population, using non-violent, direct-action methods and principles.

ISM said on Sunday that on Saturday, May 31, Murphy, as well as 48-year-old Swedish citizen Susanne Björk, were arrested in Khalet Al-Daba’a, a village in Masafer Yatta in the southern part of the occupied West Bank that ISM says is "under imminent threat of forced displacement."

While Björk was due to be deported on Monday, Murphy is fighting what ISM calls an "unjust deportation order and is facing time in jail."

According to ISM, Israeli military arrived at Khalet Al-Daba’a on the morning of May 31 and ordered activists to leave the village.

As they complied, Israeli settlers in army uniform stopped Murphy and Björk and "began harassing them."

Israeli police were called, and the two activists were arrested under the accusation that they were in a military area, ISM said.

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In a statement released via ISM, Murphy said: “When most governments all around the world are ignoring the genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank, ordinary people like me are answering the Palestinians’ call to come and be a witness to these events being carried out by the Zionist Israeli entity.

"It’s not about politics, it’s about justice and freedom for all people.”

Her son, Dale Ryan, said: ”I am writing this as my mother is being detained by the Israeli authorities.

"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.

"Of course, I want her home safe with her family who love her, but I know a piece of her heart is in Palestine and she needs to be there, doing what she can.”

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The Irish Times noted that Murphy is a founding member of Swansea Palestine Community Link and was previously detained in Israel in 2011, when she travelled there with the Welsh pro-Palestine group.

Murphy’s lawyer, Noa Dagoni, told the Irish Independent on Monday that her client was still in detention at Ben Gurion Airport but is expected to be moved soon to Givon prison and held there.

“Ms. Murphy feels very strong today," Dagoni told the Irish Independent on Monday.

"She’s really good with the choice she made to stay, not to be deported immediately, but to insist there's no reason for this deportation.

"She said yesterday they (the Israeli authorities) were treating them quite well

“It’s likely she will appear before a custody review tribunal, like a court, on Thursday, when she’ll be charged.

“Then after seeing the judge, they will give a new decision on imprisonment or deportation.

“If she comes before the judge and insists she’s not leaving, then they can forcibly take her to the plane.”