Israel may still have the Madleen aid boat. But organizers are already planning their next journey to Gaza

Yasmine Hassan · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 19, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

The Madleen, a vessel seized by Israeli forces portion en way to Gaza, mightiness inactive beryllium stuck successful a larboard disconnected the seashore of Israel. But the activists who piloted it are engaged readying their adjacent effort — albeit with a antithetic boat.

Named aft a celebrated fisherwoman successful Gaza, the Madleen acceptable sail from Italy, aiming to present a symbolic magnitude of assistance and gully attraction to the plight of the enclave, which has been devastated by 20 months of war. It was the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC)'s 36th specified expedition since 2008. 

But portion the radical waits to perceive from officials connected the boat's status, Zohar Chamberlain Regev, an FFC member, is successful Sicily, fixing up a antithetic vessel for different expedition to Gaza. 

The radical had attempted to sail this vessel, called the Handala, from Norway to Gaza successful 2024. That travel ended aboriginal successful Malta, arsenic they felt the vessel was excessively aged to marque the journey. But they'll soon effort it again, from Sicily.

"Our … main extremity is to nonstop a connection of solidarity and encouragement to the Palestinian resistance, to the millions of radical nether occupation," Regev told CBC News.

WATCH | Madleen Kolab says she was honoured the vessel was named aft her:

Little occurrence successful sailing to Gaza

Over the years, galore of the FFC's boats person been seized by Israeli forces. Getting them backmost involves clip successful tribunal — and adjacent past it isn't guaranteed. 

The Madleen is the 3rd vessel for which Regev volition person to look successful court. The Frankfurt-based Israeli citizen, who is its registered owner, says she hasn't yet heard thing from authorities.

"But whenever they bash [reach out]," she says, "I'll archer them that this vessel was connected its mode to Gaza; they had nary concern taking it."

The group's archetypal 5 expeditions, which were each successful 2008, were the lone ones to successfully marque it to Gaza and sail backmost out. From 2009 onwards, Regev says nary vessel has been capable to scope the enclave's shores. 

"Some boats were rammed astatine oversea and past rescued; immoderate boats were returned by the concern to their owners."

She says the radical has reused the boats that person been returned, oregon sold them to money aboriginal activities. 

Status of assistance unclear

The assistance connected committee typically doesn't marque it into Gaza, either, the FFC says. Regev says she has nary accusation connected the supplies aboard the Madleen. 

Israeli authorities did not respond to CBC's requests for remark connected the aid. But they antecedently told Reuters that it would beryllium sent to Gaza done what they called "real humanitarian channels."

Despite the galore unsuccessful attempts, Regev says she is steadfast successful the pursuit of the coalition's goals. 

"We bash this due to the fact that we admit the state that we person to really bash things," she said. "It's overmuch much terrifying to maine to deliberation that there's a genocide going on, committed by my ain people, and I beryllium present safely and bash nothing." (Israel has consistently denied it is committing genocide successful Gaza.)

She didn't elaborate connected the group's strategy for their upcoming trip. But she said the conjugation volition proceed to effort sailing its boats to Gaza until the Israeli blockade connected the portion is lifted.

One cause, antithetic realities

For 31-year-old Madleen Kolab, the water has been her beingness since she was a small girl learning however to food from her father. After helium fell sick erstwhile she was 13, she assumed his position. She says she is the archetypal and lone fisherwoman successful Gaza.

"I was honoured that they wanted to usage my sanction for the boat," she told CBC freelance videographer Mohamed El Saife, arsenic they walked on the enactment of a formation successful Gaza City. 

The parent of 4 is large with her 5th child, and says she tin hardly find nutrient to provender her kids. The warfare has made it excessively unsafe for her to fish, she says, and she has occupation paying for essentials, arsenic the outgo of nutrient successful Gaza has skyrocketed. 

She had intimately watched her namesake boat's journey, and had anticipated its arrival, on with its promised aid. 

"We were precise bittersweet erstwhile we heard the vessel was intercepted," she said. "If the vessel arrived, it meant beingness to us."

Kolab sat connected the soil arsenic the tide washed in. Across the Mediterranean successful Sicily, Regev was preparing her group's 37th flotilla to acceptable sail. Though the 2 women are tied unneurotic by 1 cause, they unrecorded successful strikingly antithetic realities.

"I anticipation that erstwhile it sails, the warfare volition beryllium over, the siege is broken," said Kolab, "and we tin spot it."