'I accepted there could be no return from Gaza'

Sijaad Hussain joined Swedish activist Greta Thunberg in a flotilla of more than 50 boats attempting to deliver aid to Palestinians

A father-of-three from the West Midlands who was detained by Israeli forces while on an aid mission to Gaza said he was prepared for not being able to return home.

Sijaad Hussain, from Walsall, joined Swedish activist Greta Thunberg in a flotilla of more than 50 boats attempting to deliver aid to Palestinians before being intercepted in international waters.

He was held in prison for two days and said the group faced intimidation and were denied fresh water during their ordeal before being deported.

Israel said the flotilla was trying to breach its naval blockade of Gaza and rejected accusations that the activists were mistreated and denied basic rights while in detention.

Mr Hussain, an accountant and Palestinian activist, said his family accepted he wanted to go, "but in my own head, I had to have it - there could be no return," he said.

The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), set sail from Barcelona at the end of last month with about two tonnes of humanitarian aid.

The first boats were stopped about 70 nautical miles off the Gaza coast in international waters which Israel had been policing but does not have jurisdiction there.

Israel described the flotilla as "provocation yachts" and said it was justified in stopping the vessels.

Mr Hussain paid for himself and said he spent about a month at sea and encountered a thunderstorm and the boat needing repairs

Mr Hussain said he decided to join the mission having been part of Palestinian activism for more than 25 years and writing to MPs, signing petitions, joining protests but seeing nothing change.

He said he knew there was risk but wanted to help people there and the mission was peaceful.

His family understood his "passion for it", he added.

"They didn't want me to go but they know I have to go, if you can understand that. It's a difficult balance," he said.

"We shouldn't have to go there, but they knew someone had to do it."

He joined five others on board - from Algeria, France and Italy - and set sail after four days of training including role plays about coping with being attacked, intercepted "and constantly drumming in that we're on a peaceful humanitarian mission."

They were at sea for about a month, after facing bad weather and needing repairs, before they were intercepted 40 nautical miles from Gaza.

Mr Hussain said Israeli pilots had sprayed them with a water cannon, which felt like "going through a waterfall" and not being able to breathe.

"Salty water in our eyes, mouth, nose... as we'd just be recovering, they'd do a second round," he said.

Israeli forces then boarded and detained them at the helm in the sun for 10 hours initially before taking them to a port and being "shown" Gaza en route - enough to hear explosions there, he said.

They were often "pushed" walking in the port area and at one point he was aware of a gun by his side.

More than 50 boats set sail for Gaza

They then joined others - young and old - who had also been detained and were kept in Ktzi'ot Prison for two days, enduring freezing air conditioning on the journey to the jail and deprived of fresh water, Mr Hussain said.

Conditions were poor with roll calls carried out just as people were falling asleep, he added.

"We had no water, constantly. They wanted us to drink water that was linked to the toilets, but we did not want to risk that.

He said he managed to cope using his "passion for the cause".

"We've got to remember what the Palestinians have been going through. What happened to us is nothing compared to what's happening to them."

He said he did meet Thunberg and described her as a "lovely" and "humble" character.

"She would roll her her sleeves to do the job as well."

Thunberg was among 170 activists to be deported from Israel and flown to Athens in Greece.

Mr Hussain flew to Manchester without facing any charges where more than 300 people were waiting to see him when he arrived on 5 October.

He said the mission was still a success despite not getting to Gaza and held out hoped the new US-brokered ceasefire would last.

In a previous statement, the UK Foreign Office said it had been supporting the affected British nationals and their families.