Israel Starts to Free Foreign Activists Held in Hostage over Gaza Flotilla Raid

Israel has begun releasing the first of hundreds of foreign activists seized on board an aid flotilla trying to break its blockade of Gaza.

More than 120 activists were bussed to Jordan, where a crowd of sympathisers greeted them. Hundreds more are due to be deported over the next two days. The activists came from mainly Muslim nations – most of them without diplomatic ties with Israel, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Pakistan.

They were greeted by a crowd of sympathisers, who cheered and chanted in celebration after a 10-hour wait on the Jordanian side of the border, reports BBC News.

"All foreign nationals who were on board the fleet and were arrested will be deported from Tuesday night," the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's said in a statement on Tuesday.

Another 50 Turkish activists have been released from prison, prior to being deported, Israeli officials said.

Hundreds of other activists - including 30 Britons and 10 more with dual British nationality - are still in Israeli jails, but Israel says it is aiming to complete deportations by Thursday.

Israel had seized more than 670 people with the ships. Around 50 activists were deported early on Tuesday, but had faced mounting calls to free those still be detained.

At least nine pro-Palestinian activists died when Israeli commandos raided the six-ship convoy early on Monday. Israel says its troops acted in self-defence, but campaigners deny this.

The incident has sparked widespread concern and led to calls for Israel to lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israel has maintained control of Gaza's airspace and territorial waters, as well as most of its land borders, since withdrawing troops and settlers from the territory in 2005.

According to the UN, Gaza receives about one-quarter of the supplies it used to receive in the years before the blockade was tightened in 2007. Israel and Egypt sealed off the territory after militant group Hamas seized power there in 2007.