Israel rejects UN call for raid probe

Foreign Secretary William Hague said 34 activists were on board the boats – not 37 as previously thought – all but two of whom had been sent to Turkey where the convoy originated.

One was deported directly to the UK and another with dual nationality was released to family in Israel.

The arrivals came as Israel rejected calls from the United Nations and others for an international investigation of its deadly raid on the Gaza aid flotilla.

Israel says its commandos used force only after activists on board the Turkish flagship attacked them. Nine of the activists were killed.

The country's military has already started investigating the raid.

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was "no case in recent history" where a democratic country's army involved in the deaths of civilians in an overseas operation has been subjected to an international investigation.

But the wave of international outrage over the deaths on board the flotilla's lead ship, the Mavi Marmara, has provoked multiple demands for an international probe.

Among the first Britons to arrive back from Istanbul yesterday was Sarah Colborne, who claimed activists' rights were seriously violated and the deaths should act as a "wake-up call" for the world.

The mission had been peaceful and entirely unprepared for the armed raid, she insisted at a press conference, still dressed in her Israeli prison uniform.

"We are hoping the deaths, the horrific deaths of the people, will not be in vain," she said, describing seeing one victim who had been shot in the head.

"We are hoping that this will act as a wake-up call internationally, including our own Government, that the siege on Gaza must end. It is illegal, inhumane and immoral," she said.

Prime Minister David Cameron is among the world leaders to have condemned the Israeli action while Mr Hague said the treatment of British activists was "completely unsatisfactory".

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign said it believed some of the Britons sent to Turkey had stayed there to take part in funerals of the victims - who were all Turkish or of Turkish origin. Many were expected to return to the UK today, a spokeswoman said.

Ms Colborne, from Hackney, east London, spoke at the TUC's London headquarters where she recounted seeing "bullets flying all over the place".

She said 32 different nations were represented on the "peaceful mission" to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, with those involved aged between one and 89.

She went on deck just after 4am (on Monday) when she spotted small dinghies "bristling with guns" and the Israeli military speeding towards the ship. Helicopters appeared and gunshots were heard.

"We then had the first passenger fatally injured. He was brought to the back of the deck below. He was shot in the head, I saw him, he was obviously in a very bad way and subsequently died."

She said the saloon remained surrounded with soldiers targeting individuals with lasers and it was not until 7am that the Israelis started allowing the first critically injured person out.

"All passengers were removed on to the deck of the ship. As we were moved out we were all cuffed with cable ties. All our phones and cameras were removed. We were made to sit or kneel in lines on the deck," she said.

Once removed from the ship and imprisoned, she said some UK citizens had been denied consular representative access.

"We were kidnapped, we were deprived of our liberty and our belongings. People were illegally held against their will," she said.