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Irish not scared, Irish Vessel Rachel Corrie on route to Gaza despite threats
Taoiseach calls for Israeli restraint
Taoiseach Brian Cowen has urged the Israeli government to exercise absolute restraint in relation to the Rachel Corrie.
The Irish-owned ship, which is carrying humanitarian aid, is continuing its journey towards Gaza despite the Israeli blockade of the territory.
There are 15 people on board the vessel, including five Irish citizens.
Mr Cowen told the Dáil that the Irish Government has been maintaining close contact with the ship. He added that the presence of cement on board may be problematic.
The Israeli Government has begun deporting hundreds of foreign activists detained after it stormed a flotilla carrying aid for Gaza in international waters.
Irish Embassy officials are currently liasing with Israeli authorities regarding flight arrangements and logistics for the Irish citizens who were detained following the incident on Monday.
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign said earlier that five Irish citizens have been taken by bus from the Be'er Sheva detention camp in southern Israel on a two-hour drive to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
They are expected to be put on flights out of the country throughout today.
Isam Bin Ali, a naturalised Irish citizen who was born in Libya, has reportedly already left Israel for Ireland.
The Turkish cabinet is holding a special meeting with security and intelligence chiefs to discuss relations with Israel after the assault.
Four of the nine people killed during the incident were Turkish. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has reportedly ordered non-essential staff from its diplomatic mission in Turkey to leave the country
Shane Dillon arrives in IrelandLast night, Shane Dillon (left), the first of the Irish deportees who was travelling on the flotilla, arrived back in Dublin Airport on a flight from Frankfurt.
He said the Israeli military landing parties had treated those on board the vessels badly.
Describing the dramatic moments the Challenger 1 came under attack, Mr Dillon said the ship was surrounded by blacked-out vessels and helicopters before armed forces launched an assault at close range with stun guns and high-powered paintball pellets.
'I wouldn't call them soldiers, they are terrorists,' said the 36-year-old.
'They attacked us in international waters. That was a pure act of piracy in international waters on a peace fleet.'
He angrily denied accusations that activists had weapons on board the ships.
'The weapons the Israelis displayed were cooking knives, a hammer. This was a big merchant ship, of course it's going to have a hammer, of course it's going to have galley knives,' he said.
He said that, despite a wound to his left arm from a Taser, he was treated better than most activists because he was a member of the crew.
'There was one girl, she was only young, a Belgian girl, she had a broken nose,' he continued.
'One of the leaders from the Free Gaza Organisation, he was beaten on the deck of the ship.
'They smashed our stern door which is glass and they beat some of the girls and pushed them around the deck. They weren't friendly with them at all.'
Mr Dillon said he only was freed to leave Israel once he signed deportation papers.
'They asked me to sign and I signed numerous things, I signed Shane the Pain and Mickey Mouse,' he added.
'They didn't really understand. They gave it to me in Hebrew and I said, 'Well, I don't understand that' and they gave it to me in English and I said 'Ní thuigim é sin'.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen has urged the Israeli government to exercise absolute restraint in relation to the Rachel Corrie.
The Irish-owned ship, which is carrying humanitarian aid, is continuing its journey towards Gaza despite the Israeli blockade of the territory.
There are 15 people on board the vessel, including five Irish citizens.
Mr Cowen told the Dáil that the Irish Government has been maintaining close contact with the ship. He added that the presence of cement on board may be problematic.
The Israeli Government has begun deporting hundreds of foreign activists detained after it stormed a flotilla carrying aid for Gaza in international waters.
Irish Embassy officials are currently liasing with Israeli authorities regarding flight arrangements and logistics for the Irish citizens who were detained following the incident on Monday.
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign said earlier that five Irish citizens have been taken by bus from the Be'er Sheva detention camp in southern Israel on a two-hour drive to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
They are expected to be put on flights out of the country throughout today.
Isam Bin Ali, a naturalised Irish citizen who was born in Libya, has reportedly already left Israel for Ireland.
The Turkish cabinet is holding a special meeting with security and intelligence chiefs to discuss relations with Israel after the assault.
Four of the nine people killed during the incident were Turkish. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has reportedly ordered non-essential staff from its diplomatic mission in Turkey to leave the country
Shane Dillon arrives in IrelandLast night, Shane Dillon (left), the first of the Irish deportees who was travelling on the flotilla, arrived back in Dublin Airport on a flight from Frankfurt.
He said the Israeli military landing parties had treated those on board the vessels badly.
Describing the dramatic moments the Challenger 1 came under attack, Mr Dillon said the ship was surrounded by blacked-out vessels and helicopters before armed forces launched an assault at close range with stun guns and high-powered paintball pellets.
'I wouldn't call them soldiers, they are terrorists,' said the 36-year-old.
'They attacked us in international waters. That was a pure act of piracy in international waters on a peace fleet.'
He angrily denied accusations that activists had weapons on board the ships.
'The weapons the Israelis displayed were cooking knives, a hammer. This was a big merchant ship, of course it's going to have a hammer, of course it's going to have galley knives,' he said.
He said that, despite a wound to his left arm from a Taser, he was treated better than most activists because he was a member of the crew.
'There was one girl, she was only young, a Belgian girl, she had a broken nose,' he continued.
'One of the leaders from the Free Gaza Organisation, he was beaten on the deck of the ship.
'They smashed our stern door which is glass and they beat some of the girls and pushed them around the deck. They weren't friendly with them at all.'
Mr Dillon said he only was freed to leave Israel once he signed deportation papers.
'They asked me to sign and I signed numerous things, I signed Shane the Pain and Mickey Mouse,' he added.
'They didn't really understand. They gave it to me in Hebrew and I said, 'Well, I don't understand that' and they gave it to me in English and I said 'Ní thuigim é sin'.
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