‘People power will overcome’: photographer in Gaza aid flotilla calls on arts workers to show solidarity

Dozens of arts and media professionals have set sail for Gaza aboard a flotilla called the Thousand Madleens, led by Bangladeshi photographer and curator Shahidul Alam. The group departed Otranto, Italy on 1 October and is currently in international waters, expecting to be apprehended by Israeli forces. Alam is traveling on the Conscience, the largest private vessel attempting to break the siege since October 2023, carrying 92 civilians from 26 countries, mostly medics and arts workers. The mission aims to challenge the legality of the siege and demonstrate solidarity with Palestinian journalists and medics, who Alam says have been specifically targeted by Israel.