Israel intends to deport hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists by the end of Wednesday, while scrapping plans to lay charges against anyone who participated in an aid flotilla that was headed for the blockaded Gaza Strip.
The country's attorney general, Yehuda Weinstein, said keeping the protesters in Israeli custody "would do more damage to the country's vital interest than good."
Weinstein also confirmed that Israel would not prosecute any of the nearly 700 activists who were captured Monday, when Israeli forces stopped the flotilla in a deadly operation that resulted in at least nine deaths.
The six flotilla ships were towed to the port of Ashdod. Since then, the activists have been held in prisons while Israeli forces sorted out their identities and how to send them home.
By midday Wednesday, Israel had already sent 400 activists to Israel's international airport so they could be flown home. Both Greece and Turkey sent planes to pick up their detained citizens.
Another 124 activists were deported to Jordan earlier in the day.
Within hours, the government had also begun preparations to send the remaining activists home as well, CTV's Tom Kennedy reported from Jerusalem.
Officials at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport later confirmed that all of the detained activists had been brought to the airport to be flown home.
More ships en route
The deportations come as Israel awaits the arrival of two more activist ships that are en route to Gaza, raising fears that another conflict could erupt in the days ahead.
Israel has said it will not allow the ships to breach the blockade, said Kennedy.
"The Israeli government is saying that this blockade is vital for this country's security, it will be maintained, it will be protected. Ships will not be allowed to go through that blockade," Kennedy told CTV's Canada AM.
But the Israeli government has told the activists on board the nearest incoming ship that it is wiling to escort them into Gaza and help them unload the humanitarian aid.
"The offer for the moment is being refused for the activists. They say that they will sit on the ship, they will have their hands exposed, open to view and they will do everything possible to convince the Israeli authorities, the Israeli military that their intentions are entirely peaceful," said Kennedy.
Diplomatic fallout
The raid on the flotilla turned deadly on the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara when nine activists were killed by the Israeli commandos in international waters on Monday.
As a result, Israel has faced hash criticism from many foreign governments the UN Security Council has called for an impartial investigation into what happened.
The incident has severely strained Israel's relationship with Turkey, whose citizens made up at least half of the people participating in the flotilla effort.
Four Turkish citizens are among those killed by the Israeli commandos.
The Turkish government has called the incident a "massacre" and has ordered its diplomats out of Israel.
On Wednesday, Turkish lawmakers called for a re-evaluation of the country's relationship with Israel and demanded compensation and an apology from Jerusalem.
"This attack was an open violation of United Nations rules and international law," said Turkish Deputy Parliament Speaker Guldal Mumcu.
Israel has said the soldiers were acting in self-defence when they became engaged in the deadly altercation on the Mavi Marmara. The activists have said they were unarmed and they did not provoke the attack.
Yesterday, Egypt announced it would temporarily open a border crossing into Gaza to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid and supplies.
Gaza has been blockaded by Israel and Egypt for the past three years, after Hamas seized power in June 2007.
With files from The Associated Press
