Eleven Australians who were detained by Israeli forces while sailing in a flotilla to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza are expected to be deported within hours.<\/p>\n
It is understood the Australians, who were part of the Global Sumud flotilla and detained in Israel for three days, were on Thursday being transferred by bus to Ramon airport in southern Israel, where consular officials would seek access to them before departure.<\/p>\n
It is understood Israel plans to deport the Australians by charter flight, arriving in Istanbul, Turkey overnight Australian time, where consular officials in Istanbul will deploy to the airport to provide assistance.<\/p>\n
Neve O\u2019Connor, Sam Woripa Watson, Anny Mokotow, Isla Lamont, Juliet Lamont, Surya McEwen, Zack Schofield, Dr Bianca Pullman-Webb, Gemma O\u2019Toole, Violet Coco and Helen O\u2019Sullivan have been held by Israeli forces since their ships were intercepted on Monday<\/a>.<\/p>\n Joanne Jaworowski, Zack Schofield\u2019s mother, said she was relieved about her son\u2019s release, but that she had not received any information about Zack\u2019s welfare.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is almost unbearable for me to think about what he has gone through over the more than three days at the hands of the brutal Israeli forces, and I shudder to think about the even worse treatment that the 11,000 Palestinian prisoners suffer every single day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cMy heart will not be calm until I have heard directly from Zack, that he is safe and unharmed.\u201d<\/p>\n Jacinta McEwen, Surya McEwen\u2019s mother, said: \u201cWe are overcome with relief that our kids are coming home\u201d, but added that she was angry about the circumstances.<\/p>\n The flotilla activists said the Israeli prison service and state officials had confirmed all detained had been released from the Ktzi\u2019ot detention facility and were en route to deportation.<\/p>\n