‘A Thousand Madleens’: New Civilian Fleet Readies to Defy Israeli Blockade

It began with a cry of frustration, not a blueprint. A musician, overwhelmed by the images coming out of Gaza and filled with a sense of helplessness, created an Instagram account. He named it A Thousand Madleens to Gaza. No maritime training. No NGO credentials. Just rage, heartbreak, and the refusal to do nothing.

Today, that spark has grown into a fast-moving, global civilian initiative. Nearly 2,000 people have joined the campaign’s Telegram channel, and over 18,000 are following on Instagram within less than three weeks. Their goal is simple, yet bold: to sail directly to Gaza and break the siege from the sea.

“This campaign started just two and a half weeks ago,” explains Nozha, one of the three co-leads of the initiative’s core coordination team. “One of our colleagues made the account out of anger. He said, ‘What are we doing? What is going on?’ He had no experience. But that’s how it began.”

Since then, volunteers from London, France, Brazil, Tunisia, and beyond have joined the effort. The team is building a safe, legal, and structured mission from the ground up. The flotilla’s foundation rests on international law, humanitarian principles, and the urgency of action.

“Our governments have failed,” Nozha tells Quds News Network. “We want to tell the Palestinian people and the world that we are not our governments. We refuse to be silent. We want to act.”

The group draws inspiration from the small vessel Madleen, which attempted to reach Gaza last month with humanitarian aid. Though the boat didn’t succeed in delivering the aid, it sparked a wave of solidarity and renewed calls to challenge the blockade. “That was a win,” Nozha says. “The Madleen did not break the siege. But what happened is that suddenly there was a new wave of support and hope.”

An Unfolding Mission

The campaign remains in its preparation and recruitment phase. The organizers are deliberately cautious. They haven’t revealed departure points. They won’t confirm a timeline yet.

“We’re not doing this to draw attention to ourselves,” Nozha says. “We’re doing this to shift global attention back to Gaza.”

The team is recruiting people with maritime experience, legal knowledge, data skills, leadership, and communications backgrounds. They are also sourcing boats and preparing for all scenarios, including hostile responses from Israel.

“This is not a suicide mission,” Nozha clarifies. “We are preparing. We are talking to maritime and legal experts. We are making it as safe and strategic as possible. Deportation would be the easiest thing to face. We know there are worse risks, and we’re preparing emotionally and legally for that too.”

The campaign’s motto echoes through its posts: This is a civilian, pacifist, humanitarian mission.

Message to Gaza: ‘We Are Trying’

When asked what message she wants to send to the people of Gaza, Nozha takes a breath and smiles.

“We want to say so many things to them. I’m smiling because you have to smile in the face of something like this. You can’t spend your whole day crying,” she says. “We know what’s happening. We’ve seen it. We’re sorry we’re struggling to find a way to come. We are ashamed of our governments. But we are trying, with this initiative and others, to help. To finally see your faces free and relieved.”

Nozha and her team are still in the process of finalizing preparations. What they do know is this: every person who joins, every application received, every conversation held, and every boat prepared brings them closer.

“There’s this idea of the hammer and the nail,” Nozha explains. “The nail is the siege. The people are the hammer. Each time we hit it, it breaks a little more. Maybe we’ll be the last hit. Maybe not. But it’s progress.”

The group will soon launch a fundraiser. Supporters can help by donating, sharing the campaign, or offering skills via their secure online form.