Scot returns from Gaza aid flotilla
A Scottish activist who was on board the aid convoy stormed by Israeli soldiers has returned to the UK, the first British citizen to do so.
Hasan Nowarah, from Glasgow, was among 37 British nationals thought to have been with the flotilla when it was intercepted as it headed towards Gaza.
At least nine activists died when commandos boarded the six-ship convoy.
One British national was being treated in hospital and a number were being held in the Beersheva prison.
Israel has now started deporting those who were on board the ships, with more than 120 foreign activists having left the country by Wednesday morning.
Mr Nowarah said he was the first to be sent home because he had sustained a leg injury.
He said: "On Saturday evening we were approached by Israeli warships. At that point the managers of the mission started to consider how to protect the ships.
"They were communicating with our captains, through the radios, warning us to turn back.
"We never replied to them at some points, at others we explained to them we were in international waters and were not attacking Israel."
Mr Nowarah, a British citizen originally from Ramallah, was on the Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, but moved to another one before the Israeli troops landed.
He said the first sign of violence he saw was in the early hours of Monday morning.
"As we finished our prayers all we could hear were people screaming, we looked at the Marmara ship and saw the Israeli helicopters dropping soldiers," he said.
"We heard more screaming and shouting before bullets were fired all over the place.
"On our ship we could hear 'tick, tick, tick, tick' around the body of the ship, but they were not real bullets, it turns out it was paintballing guns they were shooting at us."
He said an Israeli soldier hit him on his back and leg with his gun.
Mr Nowarah, an IT consultant and the chairman of the Justice for Palestine Centre in Glasgow, flew into Heathrow Airport on Tuesday night on his way back to Scotland.
Other Scots on the flotilla at the time were Theresa McDermott, from Edinburgh, artist Clifford Hanley, journalist Hassan Ghani, from Glasgow, and Dundee-based estate agent Ali El-Awaisi.
Mr Hanley's sister Jane said: "I've heard nothing from Clifford at all.
"But I did hear this morning from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, that the embassy staff have been in Beersheva prison, and have spoken to all the British detainees.
"As far as we know, he's safe and well and being deported as soon as possible."
The Israeli government has claimed its forces were shot at and attacked with weapons when they boarded the lead ship, the Mavi Marmara.
The UK foreign office said it was not aware of any British nationals being killed in the raid.
Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that Israel's actions had been "rightly condemned around the world".