The Italian activists, released after the Israeli raid on the pro-Palestinian flotilla, have left Tel Aviv for Istanbul. An Israeli spokesman said that 527 activists from the international expedition intercepted last Sunday on route to Gaza, left overnight for Turkey and Greece after being expelled from Israel.

“It was abduction. We were beaten, first on the ship by soldiers and just now at the airport " say the Italian activists. The six left Israel during the night; five are already in Istanbul, however freelancer and director Manolo Luppicchini was in Tel Aviv waiting for a flight to take him directly to Italy. Angela Lano, Giuseppe Fallisi and Ismail Abdel-Rahim Qaraqe Awin are still due to leave Istanbul; Manuel Zani is due to arrive in Rome at 10:40; Marcello Faracci has already left for Brussels.