Hague backs UN calls for inquiry into Israeli action

Paveen Yaqub, of Honley, near Huddersfield, was keeping her family updated on the social networking site Facebook but her posts stopped immediately after the six-strong convoy was stopped on Monday.

While describing her progress, she suddenly left a message reading: "Something has kicked off; I gotta run up deck."

Minutes later the 39-year-old wrote: "We are now surrounded by Israeli warships with helicopters circulating and following the convoy of ships heading for Gaza still. We will not be stopping unless we are forcibly made to do so."

She is believed to be among 31 British nationals and a further 11 people with dual nationality who were detained following the storming of the ships as they attempted to break the Israeli blockade. Among those also believed to be held is Mohammed Bhaiyat, 26, of Bradford, where hundreds yesterday joined a city-centre protest against the Israeli action.

Ms Yaqub's nephew Tanveer Qamar said his aunt, a senior manager for SureStart in Oldham, was on the Mavi Marmara, the lead boat of a flotilla when the masked commandos boarded the Turkish ship.

"We have not heard anything whatsoever and we believe it is a deliberate attempt by Israel to stop anyone from communicating so that they can get their version of events out first," he said.

"We are all just crossing out fingers and hoping that the worst scenario doesn't happen."

Britain yesterday called on Israel to mount a full investigation into the killing of nine civilians during the operation.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said all those held by Israel had access to British consular staff and he expected them to be deported "very quickly".

He welcomed a statement by the United Nations Security Council calling for a "prompt, impartial, credible and transparent" investigation into the seizure of the flotilla.

The Israeli authorities said 50 of the 679 activists had already been taken to Israel's international airport for deportation.