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.
This action matters because it marks a growing mobilization within the global arts community around the Palestinian cause, which Alam notes has been slow to materialize. The flotilla represents a direct challenge to Israeli restrictions on aid and foreign journalists in Gaza, where a UN-backed panel has declared a man-made famine. Alam’s involvement through the Palestinian Arts and Culture Solidarity Collective (PACSOC) highlights how arts workers are increasingly using their platforms to support colleagues in conflict zones, potentially influencing broader professional and moral discourse in the cultural sector.