Over the last several days, young woman Madleen Kulab—Gaza’s first female fisherwoman and the person after whom the Madleen aid vessel was named—had been following the ship’s progress with nervous anticipation. As it made its way toward Gaza in an attempt to defy Israel’s naval blockade, her emotions swung between cautious hope and the fear of what might come.
During the voyage, Kulab remained in regular contact with those organizing the mission—the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC). Yet the hope she held onto collapsed when she awoke on Monday to the news that Israeli forces had intercepted the ship in international waters and detained all 12 people on board, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
“I was crushed,” Kulab told Al Jazeera. “I expected this might happen, but part of me was still holding onto the hope that maybe—somehow—the ship would make it through and reach Gaza.”
Just the night before the vessel was intercepted, Kulab had a video call with one of the passengers, Rima Hassan—a French member of the European Parliament with Palestinian roots. During their conversation, Hassan said her greatest wish was to see Gaza with her own eyes.
“The way she spoke really moved me,” Kulab said. “She’s given her whole life to supporting Palestine.”
“And yet, something as basic as visiting Gaza is now out of reach because of Israeli restrictions.”
For Kulab, this interception only adds to the deep sense of isolation she and other Palestinians in Gaza live with daily—under blockade and constant bombardment.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, since October 7, 2023, Israeli attacks have killed over 54,880 Palestinians and left at least 126,227 wounded.
Gaza has been under Israel’s full blockade—by air, land, and sea—since 2007.
“We’re locked away from the world,” Kulab said. “Every flotilla since 2010 that tried to reach us has faced some kind of military force.”
To her, what happened to the Madleen reflects the larger, ongoing suffering in Gaza.
“That ship’s story is just like mine,” she said. “It’s the same for everyone here—tired and worn down.”
“Our suffering becomes news for a moment, then disappears. After that, we’re left alone with our pain.”
With the crew now in custody, Kulab said her only concern is for their safety and return. Thunberg was deported from Israel on Tuesday.
“They carried a powerful message—one of humanity—that was heard by the world,” she said.
“But I don’t know what else to say. I’ve run out of ways to ask for help.”
Gaza is facing extreme hunger. Though Israel eased the blockade slightly in May, people gathering at aid points have been shot at by Israeli troops and American security contractors, turning food distribution sites into deadly zones.
“Every day feels worse than the one before,” said Kulab. “War, hunger, and suffering surround us. My family, my neighbors, and I—we are drowning in all of it.”
