The New Quay woman has been welcomed home amongst the last UK volunteers to return from the Global Sumud Flotilla.

Hannah Schafer landed on British soil on 8 October, arriving at London’s Heathrow airport from Jordan at 2.48pm.

The 62-year-old sailing instructor was one of seven British volunteers returning home yesterday after being held by Israeli forces for five days, who intercepted them whilst trying to deliver aid to Gaza.

After being held up by border control, the volunteers were met in the arrivals area by their friends, families and supporters holding Palestine flags, as well as police who appeared to be monitoring the crowd.

The sailing instructor for Cardigan Bay Water Sports said on arrival: “I was on a boat with two Colombian women who in Jordan yesterday were welcomed by the Colombian ambassador and arriving in Colombia will be given a medal of honour by their president.

“We came back here and were held up by the border force while they investigated whether we were terrorists or not.

“It’s any excuse to try and make people feel intimidated.

“This country is complicit in the genocide in Gaza, and it's about time they were held to account...

“Let’s remember why we’re all here and keep up the pressure to break the siege and open a humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza.”

Another Sumud volunteer, Sarah Wilkinson, was arrested after arriving back in the UK this week over terrorism charges for supporting the proscribed group, Palestine Action.

Over 130 Sumud volunteers were released by Israeli authorities on Tuesday 7 October over land to Jordan, from where they made their journeys home.

It followed over one hundred more being released the day before, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, and more still over the weekend prior.

Of the 479 people detained from the Sumud Flotilla made of 42 vessels, six volunteers remained “unlawfully detained” in Israel as of the evening of 7 October, according to the human rights organisation, Adalah.

A spokesperson for the group, which is providing legal aid to the volunteers who are citizens of Norway, Morocco, and Spain, said it “continues to demand their immediate release and is engaging with the relevant authorities to secure it.

“Lawyers have requested visits if any participants remain in custody.”

It comes as another flotilla carrying food and medical supplies was illegally stopped by Israel on 8 October, detaining an estimated 150 people.

Eight vessels from the Thousand Madleens and the flagship vessel from Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Conscience, were stopped in international waters.

An Adalah spokesperson said: “Israel’s assault on unarmed civilians at sea and its seizure of humanitarian vessels constitute a grave breach of international law and highlight the impunity with which Israel continues to act.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in an X post: “Another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone ended in nothing.”

The UK Border Force has been contacted for comment.