The ship was named in honor of a PaIestinian woman from Gaza named Madleen Kolab, who became known as the first and youngest professional fisherwoman in the Strip.
Madleen began fishing at an early age to support her family amidst economic and social challenges and the ongoing blockade.
Accompanying her father—an experienced fisherman—on his trips from the age of six, from him she learned the basics of the trade, such as swimming, casting nets, and handling boats.
At the age of thirteen, her father fell seriously ill, rendering him unable to work. As the eldest daughter, Madleen took on the responsibility of managing the fishing boat and supporting her family.
The Gza Strip has been under a severe blockade since 2007, which limited the area fishermen could access to just 3–6 nautical miles (down from 20 pre-2007), drastically reducing the available fish stock and affecting livelihoods. Braving these restrictions at times put her life in danger.
In 2016, Israel confiscated her father’s boat and equipment...But Madleen did not give up—she rented an alternative engine to operate a tourist boat and continued fishing.
She took full responsibility for supporting her family and her father’s medical treatment.[Because of the restricted fishing area], she would only catch about 3 kilograms of fish daily, which sold for around 30 shekels (about $8 at the time).
Despite these heavy responsibilities, Madleen continued her studies alongside her fishing work.
Achieving what was an unconventional livelihood for women, Madleen sought to pass on her experience to other girls. She organized workshops to teach girls fishing and net-making, and established a women’s fishing club to support women working at sea and the wives of fishermen, encouraging women to take on this experience.
After the outbreak of war on the Strip in October 2023, Madleen lost both her father and her livelihood, compounding her struggles and hardship.
The story of Madleen Kolab embodies the spirit of civil resistance and determination to live...Today, her name sails aboard the ship “Madleen” to shed light on the suffering of our people and to support the effort to break the siege."
— Mohammed Al-Fateh [Translated from Arabic]/ H/t Maher Alareer
(Link to a documentary film that tells the story of Madleen Kolab)
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#BreakingTheSiege is a legal duty for states, and a moral imperative for all of us.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is among the deadliest and most destructive worldwide since World War II: Israel's violence and restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid have created a huge humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Listen to some of the #FreedomFlotilla Coalition volunteers share why our nonviolent action is critical, just before they boarded the #Madleen in Catania. Keep track of our vessel and friends as they sail to #Gaza via #MarineTraffic or our website. Tag your Foreign Ministries to ensure that they safeguard the 'Madleen', and end their active participation in Israel's genocide and siege of Gaza.
#BreakIsraelsSiege #EndTheBlockade #Madleen #FreedomFlotilla #HuwaidaArraf #GretaThunberg #DrMo #YasmineAcar #ThiagoAvila #IsraelonNotice
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| Greta Thunberg- |
Freedom Flotilla Coalition
@GazaFFlotilla
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| Madleen 2025 ... The #Governments of the 12 activists that
have been kidnapped by #Israelis aboard the #Gaza bound aid ship #FreedomFlottila #Madleen need to demand their immediate release.
Stopping this #UK ship in #InternationalWater & stealing everything on board is ILLEGAL.
#IsraelIsInsane! |
Israel is making fun of the world.
They are deporting the Madleen crew from Israel as if the crew was heading to Israel.
These individuals were heading to Gaza.
They were in international waters.
To attack the boat at night while carrying guns and to take them to a place they were not heading to is called “kidnapping.”
And to force them to sign deportation documents or go to a detention center? What is this called?
