Departure from Bristol and Kinsale
A boat named Kate set sail on Sunday as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's latest attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, challenging Israel's blockade of the territory. Reports describe the departure from two locations: Al Jazeera reported that the vessel left from Bristol in southern England, where supporters gathered at Hannover Quay in a city represented by the Greens and known for its progressive spirit. The Irish Times reported the flotilla departed from Kinsale, a seaside town in County Cork, Ireland, where the ship had been berthed since the previous Tuesday and where local solidarity groups, including Kinsale for Palestine, hosted fundraising events.
Reports differ on the number of activists on board. Al Jazeera counted 12 activists including the captain, while The Irish Times reported 10 activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The captain, Irish sailor Fiacc O'Brolchain, will steer the boat as far as France, according to The Irish Times.
Activist profiles and farewells
Among those bidding farewell in Bristol were Swee Ang, a doctor and founder of Medical Aid for Palestinians; Leigh Evans, a Welsh nurse who was seen kneeling before Egyptian soldiers in June 2025 while pleading to cross into Gaza; and David Miller, a professor who recently won a legal battle against the University of Bristol over his anti-Zionist views, as reported by Al Jazeera.
American activist Frank Romano, described by The Irish Times as one of the activists on the boat, expressed "trepidation" about the voyage. Romano, aged 74, has been imprisoned four times by Israeli forces for political activity. He is a retired professor of law at Paris Nanterre University and a graduate of the Sorbonne. Romano represents the Palestinian people before the International Criminal Court (ICC) against members of the Israeli government accused of war crimes, according to The Irish Times.
Training and interception preparations
Romano will lead training during a stop-off in Sicily, where activists from the Kate and its sister ship Handala 2 will reunite and undergo retraining. The training includes "interception training and responding to drone attacks," as well as legal aspects of interception, Romano told The Irish Times. He explained, "We will go into the legal aspects of interception so we know when we're being interviewed what is illegal under international law and what is not."
Romano's previous mission was in May, and he participated in the first Global Sumud Flotilla mission to Gaza, which set sail in August 2025. He described the interception during that mission: "When intercepted, we were pushed around by Israeli commandos and not given food." According to Al Jazeera, Romano said that since October 2023, Israeli forces have intercepted and detained more than 75 solidarity ships and boats, and he has succeeded in retrieving only two of the intercepted vessels. His own vessel, Handala, was intercepted in July 2025, according to the same report.
History of interceptions and allegations of mistreatment
Al Jazeera reported that Israel has intercepted or attacked every flotilla attempting to breach the Gaza blockade since 2010, including in international waters. The captain, O'Brolchain, who was detained by Israeli forces earlier this year during a previous mission, said his hearing aids were seized during interrogation. He told Al Jazeera he kept repeating to Israeli soldiers, "I can't hear you; you took my hearing aids."
Al Jazeera also reported on the interception of the boat Alma in October, which included passengers such as Greta Thunberg, who alleged physical and psychological abuse while detained. Israel denied those allegations, according to the report. Irish activist Colm Byrne described an April interception, saying flotilla members were kicked, beaten, and forced into painful and humiliating postures. He said activists were kept on their knees for four hours with hands tied, and forced to walk with heads down or face slapping. Byrne, who suffered a shoulder injury, stressed that the mistreatment he endured does not compare with the scale of abuse suffered by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Perspectives
Freedom Flotilla activists
Activists, including Frank Romano and Zohar Chamberlain Regev, a Freedom Flotilla steering committee member, frame the mission as a moral imperative to deliver aid to Gaza. Regev said, "We have choices but the people of Gaza have no choice," as quoted by The Irish Times.
Israeli government
The Irish Times reported that an Israeli government spokesperson had been contacted for comment. Al Jazeera noted that Israel denied allegations of abuse made by Greta Thunberg and others, but did not name a specific official. Israel has consistently maintained that its interception of flotillas is a security measure to prevent arms smuggling and enforce the blockade.