A New Quay sailor has joined the largest-ever flotilla hoping to break Israel’s sea blockade of Gaza.

Hannah Schafer has not been deterred from joining this dangerous mission despite going through the ordeal once before.

The first Global Sumud Flotilla in September 2025 involved being illegally seized and detained for five days under harsh conditions, before being forcibly deported by Israeli authorities.

On Sunday 12 April she was first mate on board one of 80 vessels carrying close to 1,000 people from 70 countries, taking lifesaving aid to the besieged population of Gaza.

Ms Schafer said that despite not succeeding in their mission in September, “it galvanised so much support for Gaza around the world, from worldwide protests to general strikes and port blockades followed by the ceasefire deal - and maybe we had a small part to play in that.”

She joined again because any suffering she endures at the hands of Israel is “nothing” to what Palestinians have endured, adding: “There’s so much going on around the world, in Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Sudan, Ukraine - wars around resources pushing people off their land.

“I think it’s important we try and stand up and put a stop to it.”

Ms Schafer will be using her skills as a sailing instructor in Cardigan Bay to reach Gaza’s coast.

However this is no dolphin spotting trip – 10 flotilla volunteers attempting to bring aid to Gaza were killed by Israeli forces in 2010, sparking global outrage.

Schafer was also not deterred despite a suspended sentence and 180 hours of community service for her involvement in an Heathrow Airport action in 2024 - she denies all charges and states she completed her hours before the trip.

Her September Flotilla trip caused her to miss a probationary meeting, for which the Probation Service failed to make her serve her suspended sentence.