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Israeli Defences Forces/AP Photo
This image released by the Israeli Defence Ministry shows Israeli soldiers boarding one of the protest boats.
# Gaza
DFA lodges complaint after seven Gaza activists miss flight home
Half of the 14 Irish activists detained last week were due to home today but missed their flight.
THE DEPARTMENT OF Foreign Affairs has complained to Israeli authorities after seven of the 14 Irish activists who were due to be deported today missed their flight home.
The pro-Palestinian activists were arrested last week after their attempt to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip was stopped by the Israeli Navy who boarded their ship, the MV Saoirse, and detained the activists along with a number of Canadian activists on board another ship.
Seven of the activists – five men and two women including former Irish rugby international Trevor Horgan - were due home on a flight from Ben Gurian airport near Tel Aviv today but they missed their flight.
It is understood that the men and women travelled in separate convoys and that the convoy with the two women was delayed resulting in all seven of the activists missing their flight.
Irish officials are understood to be very unhappy with the situation and the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed to TheJournal.ie that it had lodged a complaint with Israel, pushing for the immediate rearranging of flights to get the activists home.
The other seven activists, including former Fianna Fáil TD Chris Andrews, are due home on a flight tomorrow via Heathrow. It is possible that they could be joined by the seven activists who missed their flight today.
Read: Gaza activists set to return to Ireland after Israeli detention ends >
