'Rachel Corrie' activists' plane touches down in Dublin

A plane carrying five Irish Gaza activists - a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt - has touched down at Dublin Airport.

The group was deported from Israel after their detention from the Irish-owned aid ship the Rachel Corrie on Saturday.

The vessel, which was en route to Gaza, was intercepted and boarded by Israeli forces on Saturday, after it refused Irish and Israeli requests to divert to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

Those onboard were brought to a detention centre in Holon, from where the deportations began yesterday.

Meanwhile, Israel's ambassador to Washington said the country would not participate in any international investigation of its actions.

Michael Oren said Israel has the ability and the right to investigate itself and not to be investigated by any international board.

The Israeli diplomat said his government had no intention of acceding to demands by a number of governments for a independent inquiry into last Monday's fatal raid.