Madleen Culab: The Gazan Woman Who Inspired The Flotilla Vessel (image-palestinesolidarity.org)
The Madleen and its crew of 12 volunteers, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, is on its way to Gaza carrying necessary aids. The sail that had set from Catania, Sicily, on June 1, 2025, is expected to reach the besieged enclave within seven days.
Madleen is the latest vessel to try and break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver desperately needed food and aid. The vessel had been named after 29-year-old Madleen Culab, Gaza’s only fisherwoman. Her pioneering role in a traditionally male-dominated profession has made her a symbol of resilience and determination in the face of adversity.
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The young Gazan woman sailed to the sea along with her father at her very young age of 6 every morning. In a video documentary posted by Al Jazeera, Madleen said that after being a constant visitor of the sea, she eventually developed it as a hobby and further even learned to operate the boat by herself.
Being the eldest in the family, when her father got sick, she had no other choice but to take over to support her family. “The sea became a part of my life. It’s the only escape in Gaza,” she said.
It was at the age of 13 when Madleen and her two younger brothers started heading to the sea on their own. Balancing her studies along with fishing, she became Gaza’s first fisherwoman. Once a hobby to the little girl, it now became the source of their family’s income.
Madleen has also set up a workshop for women in the area, teaching them how to fish and how to make fishing nets. A Women’s Fishing Club was set up, targeting those who work at sea and the wives of the fishermen.
Thus, the naming of the vessel after Madleen is a true tribute to her courage and the broader struggle of Palestinians under blockade.
Meanwhile, the Madleen vessel, which embarked on its journey just one month after Israeli drones had bombed Conscience, another FFC aid ship, off the coast of Malta.
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The FFC has emphasised that all volunteers and crew on board Madleen are trained in nonviolence and are sailing unarmed in a peaceful act of civil resistance against Israel’s actions in Gaza. As per the press release, the flotilla is carrying things urgently needed in Gaza, including medical supplies, flour, rice, baby formula, nappies, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, crutches, and children’s prosthetics.
