Madleen, the Gaza fisher woman who inspires Greta and globalsolidarity
As the humanitarian vessel Madleen sails toward Gaza in defiance of Israel’s blockade, the world begins to learn the powerful story of the woman behind its name: Madleen Kulab, Gaza’s first and only fisherwoman.
Kulab, 30, once carved out a humble but dignified life on the shores of Gaza City. A skilled fisherwoman and renowned cook, she ventured into the Mediterranean daily, battling Israel’s naval restrictions to bring home fresh catch to feed her family and serve her loyal customers. But today, she sits amid the ruins of her bombed home, a symbol of both loss and quiet resistance.
“I was deeply moved,” she says, recalling the moment an Irish activist told her that a humanitarian ship would be named in her honour. “I felt an enormous sense of responsibility and a little pride.”
The Madleen is part of a high-profile international effort by activists from around the world — including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament — to deliver life-saving aid to Gaza and challenge the 17-year-old Israeli blockade. For Madleen, this act of solidarity is not just about a ship — it’s about reclaiming dignity in the face of devastation.
A Life at Sea, Interrupted by War
Madleen began fishing at the age of 15, accompanying her father out to sea and eventually becoming a familiar sight in Gaza’s tight-knit fishing community. Married to fellow fisherman Khader Bakr, she balanced motherhood with hard labour, all while confronting the daily threats posed by Israeli patrol boats enforcing the maritime blockade.
When Al Jazeera first met her three years ago, she was expecting her third child and living a modest but stable life. That all changed in November 2023, when an Israeli airstrike near their home killed her father. Nine months pregnant at the time, she fled with her husband and children — first to Khan Younis, then to Rafah, Deir el-Balah, and finally Nuseirat, seeking safety that never came.
She eventually gave birth under dire conditions — no pain relief, no proper medical care, and no place to rest but the bare floor of an overcrowded shelter shared with 40 other displaced relatives.
“It was physically exhausting,” she recounts. “I had to sleep on the floor with my newborn baby. We didn’t even have a blanket.”
“They Bombed My Boat, But My Name Will Sail”
Madleen and Khader lost everything — their boats, fishing gear, and their only means of livelihood. Gaza’s once-bountiful sardine dishes, once a staple of their lives and a source of income, have become a luxury item in a region now teetering on the brink of famine.
“Everything has changed. We now crave fish in the middle of this famine we’re living through,” she says. “There’s no such thing as ‘difficult’ anymore. Nothing compares to the humiliation, hunger, and horror we’ve seen in this war.”
Yet even amid destruction, Madleen remains tethered to the sea — if only in spirit. Friends and solidarity activists from around the world, who came to know her through years of engagement with Gaza’s fishing community, have remained in touch, offering both emotional and material support.
“They came to understand the situation through me,” she says. “They felt like family.”
The ship named after her is more than a tribute — it’s a symbol. It carries not only aid but a message of resistance and remembrance.
“I’m grateful to these activists who have devoted themselves, left their lives and comforts behind, and stood with Gaza despite all the risks,” she says. “This is the highest form of humanity and self-sacrifice in the face of danger.”
READ ALSO: Israeli soldiers hijack Gaza-bound aid ship, kidnap Greta Thunberg, journalist, other activists
Uncertain Waters Ahead
While she draws strength from the gesture, Madleen is realistic about the dangers. She fears The Madleen could be intercepted or even attacked, as was the case with the Mavi Marmara in 2010, when Israeli forces killed 10 Turkish activists during a similar mission.
“Intercepting the ship would be the least of it,” she says. “What’s more worrying is the possibility of a direct assault.”
READ ALSO: Thousands join Tunisian-led ‘Sumud Convoy’ to demand end to Israeli blockade on Gaza
But whatever the fate of the vessel, she believes its mission is already a success.
“This is a call to break the global silence, to draw the world’s attention to what’s happening in Gaza. The blockade must end, and this war must stop immediately.”
As she sits in her war-damaged home with her four children, Madleen clings to the hope that her name — and what it represents — will live on.
“They may have bombed my boat,” she says, “but my name will remain — and it will sail across the sea.”
Culled from Al Jazeera.
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