Some 137 activists detained by Israel for taking part in a flotilla seeking to deliver aid to Gaza are being flown to Istanbul, Türkiye's foreign ministry said on Saturday.

The individuals include 36 Turkish nationals, as well as citizens from the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Switzerland, Tunisia and Jordan, ministry sources added.

The Turkish Airlines flight is expected to land sometime after 3:40 p.m. local time (1240 GMT), the ministry said.

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said 26 Italians were on board, with another 15 still held in Israel and set to be expelled next week – along with activists from other nations.

A first group of Italians from the flotilla – four parliamentarians – arrived in Rome on Friday.

Israel has faced international condemnation after its military intercepted all of about 40 boats in a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza and detained more than 450 activists.

Israel's foreign ministry wrote on X that all detained activists were "safe and in good health," adding it was keen to complete the deportations "as quickly as possible."

According to Adalah, an Israeli group offering legal assistance to flotilla members, some of them were denied access to lawyers, and denied access to water and medications, as well as the use of toilets.

Israel's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The flotilla, which set sail in late August, marked the latest attempt by activists to challenge the Israeli naval blockade of the Palestinian enclave Gaza. Israeli officials repeatedly denounced the mission as a stunt and warned it against violating a "lawful naval blockade."

(With input from Reuters)