Five Irish citizens seized during the Israeli storming of a Gaza aid flotilla are now in Turkey ahead of their journey back home.
But one of the Irish citizens, Al Mahdi al Harati, had his journey home to Ireland delayed after he became ill and was taken to hospital in the Turkish capital Ankara. It is understood he has been treated by doctors and is well.
Four other men were evacuated to Istanbul on Wednesday night. They include leading activists Fiachra O'Luain and Dr Fintan Lane, who are expected to make plans to return to Ireland in the next 24 hours.
Award-winning journalist Paul McGeough is expected to make his own arrangements along with a Turkish-Irish national.
An Irish-American is believed to have remained in Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv after issues were raised over his travel documents.
They were among hundreds of people detained by authorities and released under massive international pressure following the deadly military-led action on the aid flotilla. Nine people were killed in the attack.
Mr al Harati, a father-of-four originally from Libya, was stretchered off a flight to Ankara on Wednesday night with another man. He suffers from diabetes and an underlying heart condition and is not thought to have been wounded in Monday's attack.
The first Irish campaigner to return home, Dubliner Shane Dillon, called on the world to stand united against Israel and impose sanctions.
The 36-year-old accused armed forces of destroying footage of the assault by damaging equipment owned by journalists before physically attacking activists with stun guns and paintball pellets.
Meanwhile, one of the last boats in the Gaza mission, the Irish-owned MV Rachel Corrie is continuing its slow journey to the Israeli-imposed exclusion zone. It is expected to hit the embargo area on Friday night or Saturday morning.Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/uk-ireland/flotilla-activists-set-for-return-14829386.html#ixzz0qHQosQEq
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