By Quds News Network
Madelene Kolab braved Israeli naval fire and poverty to feed her family from Gaza’s besieged coast. Now, a solidarity ship named Madelene sails in her honor to break the blockade.
The “Madelene” set out from Catania, Italy, on June 1, 2025, carrying humanitarian aid and international activists determined to break Israel’s 18-year blockade of Gaza.
But this isn’t just a voyage to deliver food and medicine. It’s a journey inspired by one Gazan girl who refused to sink under occupation and poverty—Madelene Kollab, Gaza’s youngest and only professional female fisher.
A Girl, A Net, A Mission
Born and raised in Al-Shati refugee camp, Madelene Kollab grew up on Gaza’s shore. She was just 13 when her father fell ill and she inherited his small fishing boat. There was no time for hesitation. With Gaza’s sea as her only horizon, Madelene became the breadwinner for her family.
“I didn’t choose the sea,” she said in a past interview. “The sea chose me.”
Faced with Israeli naval patrols, constant danger, and poverty, Madelene cast her nets into waters restricted by Israel. Israeli forces seized her boat in 2016. She didn’t give up. She rented a motor and returned to the sea.
“I am a child, but I had to become stronger than fear,” she said.
Every morning before sunrise, she set out into Gaza’s narrow fishing zone—barely 3 nautical miles wide—hoping to bring home enough to feed her family. She named her boat ‘Hasakta’ and learned how to mend nets, navigate currents, and stay calm when Israeli gunboats circled too close.
She taught her brother and sister to help. While others her age played or studied, Madelene fished.
“Madelene” Sets Sail
Now, a humanitarian ship bears her name. The Madelene is the latest mission by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a global movement challenging Israel’s siege nd genocide in Gaza.
The ship carries 12 international activists, including climate justice icon Greta Thunberg and French MEP Rima Hassan. Their goal is to reach Gaza’s shore with food, medicine, and a message: Gaza is not forgotten.
But the voyage is dangerous. Israel has already threatened to stop the Madelene by force. In the past, it attacked flotilla ships, including the deadly raid on the Mavi Marmara in 2010.
Despite the risks, the activists on board remain defiant.
Symbol of a Strangled Coast
In Gaza, Madelene’s story is not just about fishing—it’s about surviving under siege. With daily Israeli attacks, genocide, and hunger now declared “man-made famine” by the UN, even going to sea is a protest.
Her life mirrors the suffocation of an entire generation. And yet, she keeps going.
In an interview in 2010, she said she dreamed of studying fashion design. She studied at Gaza’s Church Alliance Institute when she returned from fishing.
“I love the sea like a friend,” she said. “It gives me peace, even when it is dangerous.”
Madelene is now a symbol. Not just for her family or her fellow fishers—but for a world struggling to understand what life in Gaza means.
The Madelene ship carries limited aid, but its cargo is heavier with meaning. It is sailing in the name of a young woman who refused to give up, who worked while shells fell, who chose nets instead of tears.
Whether the ship reaches Gaza or not, the story of Madelene Kollab already has.
She is, as the fishers of Gaza call her, the “Daughter of the Sea.”
And now, the sea carries her name.
9 June 2025
Source: countercurrents.org