An Irish woman and her daughter have been allowed to leave Gaza through the Egyptian border following talks between Irish and Egyptian government officials.
Treasa Ní Cheannabháin (56), from Barna; her daughter, Naisrin Elsafty (19), who is a medical student; and Ms Ní Cheannabháin's Egyptian niece, Seham Elhotty (26), were refused permission to leave Hamas-controlled Gaza and return to Egypt earlier this week after they undertook a relief mission for their charity.
Treasa Ní Cheannabháin (56) and her daughter, Naisrin Elsafty (19), waiting to cross back into Egypt yesterday
However, last night the Egyptian authorities allowed Ms Elsafty and her cousin through at the Rafah border crossing, as Ms Elsafty has Egyptian identification and her cousin has an Egyptian passport.
Ms Ní Cheannabháin was allowed to pass through some hours later.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, while welcoming Egypt's decision on Ms Ní Cheannabháin following representations from Irish diplomats, said last night she bore a "personal responsibility" for her plight.
Mr Ahern said his department had "explicitly warned against travelling to Gaza", and this travel advice had been updated regularly.
Ms Ní Cheannabháin, who is married to an Egyptian doctor, travelled into the Palestinian territory late last week, after she and her relatives were refused entry by the Egyptian authorities.
The women were carrying over €7,000, collected by the Galway-Palestinian children's fund for relief in Gaza.