Boat sets sail from Bristol, aiming to break Israel’s siege of Gaza

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkFrank Romano, who works with the Global Sumud Flotilla mission to Gaza, says Israel has seized most vessels attempting to deliver aid [Mariam Elsayeh/Al Jazeera]By Mariam ElsayehPublished On 17 Aug 202617 Aug 2026Bristol, United Kingdom – A boat has set sail from southern England as part of a flotilla’s efforts to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza.Supporters on Sunday gathered at Hannover Quay in Bristol, a city represented by the Greens and known for its progressive spirit, to send off “Kate”, a vessel with Freedom Flotilla activists on board.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Fifty-two hours on an Israeli prison shiplist 2 of 4Four Gaza aid flotilla activists released from Libya detentionlist 3 of 4Vietnamese activist places rare national spotlight on Gaza’s sufferinglist 4 of 4‘Active in BDS’: Document reveals how Israel scrutinised global NGOsend of listAmong those bidding the 12 activists farewell were Swee Ang, a doctor and the founder of Medical Aid for Palestinians; the Welsh nurse Leigh Evans, who was seen in footage shared widely online kneeling before Egyptian soldiers in June 2025, pleading to be allowed to cross and deliver aid to Gaza and David Miller, a professor who recently won a legal battle against the University of Bristol over his anti-Zionist views.Twelve activists are on board the boat that set off from Bristol [Mariam Elsayeh/Al Jazeera]Fiacc O Brolchain, the Irish sailor and captain of the vessel who was detained by Israeli forces earlier this year during a previous mission, said his hearing aids were seized while being interrogated. He said he kept repeating to the Israeli soldiers, “I can’t hear you; you took my hearing aids.”Israel has since 2010 intercepted or attacked every flotilla that has attempted to breach the Gaza blockade, including in international waters.Frank Romano, a member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and an international lawyer who has represented Palestinian cases before the International Court of Justice, said that since October 2023, Israeli forces have intercepted and detained more than 75 solidarity ships and boats. He has taken up legal battles to recover them, but has succeeded in retrieving only two vessels.Romano himself owns “Handala”, a vessel named after a character created by the late Palestinian artist Naji al-Ali, that was intercepted and detained in July 2025.The Global Sumud Flotilla, which Romano said has so far cost $24m and comprises scores of boats in different waves, launched its first mission last year and a much larger one in April.Swedish activist Greta Thunberg joined the movement and was among the flotilla’s passengers detained by Israel when their boat, the Alma, was intercepted in October. She is among those who alleged physical and psychological abuse while detained. Israel denied the allegations.Colm Byrne, an Irish activist who is setting sail again after participating in previous flotilla attempts, said that in April, he was more than 1,000km (620 miles) from Gaza when Israeli forces intercepted. He said flotilla members were kicked, beaten and forced into painful and humiliating postures. He suffered a shoulder injury, he said.Activists were made to spend four hours on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs before being transferred to prison, where they were forced to walk with their heads down or else face the threat of being slapped, Byrne noted.But he stressed that although he felt humiliated, the mistreatment does not compare with the scale of abuse suffered by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.A poem, ‘In Freedom’, is written on the boat [Mariam Elsayeh/Al Jazeera]