Israel was today deporting the last of nearly 700 activists detained in Monday's raid on an aid flotilla bound for Gaza.

Officials said the decision to release, and not to prosecute, any of the activists despite suspicions they were sent to attack Israeli forces, was an attempt to limit damage to Israel's relations with Turkey. Officials had earlier said they were considering prosecuting about 50 people believed to be involved in violence.

Israel has come under international condemnation after its commandos stormed a six-ship aid flotilla on Monday in international waters, setting off clashes that killed nine activists and wounded dozens. The activists were trying to break the three-year-old Israeli and Egyptian naval blockade of Gaza.

Turkish and Greek activists were to fly home on special planes sent by their respective governments, while others from the nearly 20 nations represented on the ships were travelling home on commercial flights.

The commando raid has seriously strained ties between Israel and Turkey. Turkey withdrew its ambassador, scrapped military exercises with Israel and demanded a UN security council meeting to discuss the attack.

Hundreds of Turks protested against Israel's commando raid for a third day today, and Israeli diplomats received orders to leave from the Israeli government.

The Turkish parliament in Ankara, meanwhile, held a heated debate on whether to impose military and economic sanctions on Israel. In a statement approved by a show of hands, Turkish politicians said Israel must formally apologise for the raid, pay compensation to the victims and bring those responsible to justice.

"This attack was an open violation of United Nations rules and international law," deputy parliament speaker Guldal Mumcu said, reading out the declaration.

"Turkey should seek justice against Israel through national and international legal authorities. The parliament expects the Turkish government to revise the political, military and economic relations with Israel, and to take effective measures."

Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Israel agreed not to charge the activists after Turkey applied diplomatic pressure.

"We have clearly stated that we would review our ties with Israel if all Turks were not released by the end of the day," Davutoglu told a news conference. "No one has the right to try people who were kidnapped in international waters."

Davutoglu also called for an international commission to investigate the nine deaths in the Israeli commando raid and said two seriously injured Turks would remain in Israeli hospitals with a Turkish doctor.

More than 120 activists from a dozen Muslim nations without diplomatic relations with Israel were deported to Jordan before sunrise.

Elsewhere, Egypt today eased its blockade of Gaza after the assault and about 300 Palestinians entered through Gaza's main gateway at the newly opened crossing in the border town of Rafah.

A smaller number entered Gaza from Egypt and humanitarian aid also came in including blankets, tents and 13 power generators donated by Russia and Oman.

Gaza has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since Hamas militants seized power in a violent takeover of the seaside strip in 2007. Egypt's opening of the border was believed to be temporary, although the government did not say how long it would last.

In Ankara, Turkey's interior minister, Besir Atalay, said Turkey had increased security to protect its Jewish minority as well as Israel's diplomatic missions. He said security provisions were intensified at 20 points in Istanbul. The city has several synagogues and Jewish centers that serve 23,000 people.

"Our Jewish citizens are not foreigners here. They make up an essential part of our community. We have lived together for centuries, and we will continue to do so," Davutoglu said.

In the past, there have been occasional attacks on Turkey's Jewish community. In 2003, al-Qaida-linked suicide bombers attacked the British consulate, a British bank and two Jewish synagogues in Istanbul, killing 58 people. In 1986, gunmen killed 22 people in an attack on Istanbul's Neve Shalom synagogue.

Most of Turkey's Jews are descendants of people expelled from Spain in 1492 for refusing to convert to Christianity, and were welcomed by Ottoman Sultan Beyazit. Other Jews found refuge in Turkey after fleeing Nazi persecution during World War II.