Bradford University student Khaled al-Mudallal is delighted to be back after spending six months trapped in Gaza by an Israeli siege - but he faces only a few weeks before his first catch-up exams.

Mr al-Mudallal, 22, of Great Horton, had returned to the city of Raffah to get married when he was trapped by Israel's decision to close its border with Gaza.

Passage in and out of the region was severely restricted and supplies of food, power and aid were cut off.

But Mr al-Mudallal and his wife were among around 700 people allowed to leave by the Israelis, and he is now able to turn his attention to his business degree.

"I am delighted to be back in Bradford," he said. "I really want to thank everybody who has campaigned to allow me to return. I am looking forward to getting back to my studies and seeing my friends.

"I have been to the School of Management at the university and they have agreed to let me do half my exams in January to help me catch up. It means I will have a very short time to revise but there's nothing else I can do."

Reflecting on the six months he spent trapped in Gaza, Mr al-Mudallal said: "I have been stuck in Raffah because of the siege. The only border was closed by the Israelis and thousands of people have been prevented from leaving or moving freely in Gaza.

"The Israelis have stopped aid getting in and out, cut the electricity and petrol and have even prevented medicine from getting to the sick people who need it.

"More than 30 cancer patients have died because of the lack of treatment available. The patients are not allowed to leave to go to other hospitals and there is not enough medicine available.

"Prices for basic food stuffs and provisions have shot up because of the shortage. Gaza is now more expensive than London. You have a situation where 1.7 million people, which is one of the largest populations for the size of the area in the world, are being held hostage by the Israeli government.

"We were all very scared that they would invade, and that is still a big fear.

"We hoped that Annapolis (the recent US-brokered peace talks) would achieve something but just hours before the talks ten people were killed in Gaza and now afterwards nothing has changed.

"The people of Gaza are suffering and nothing is being done.