{"id":1303,"date":"2025-11-06T10:27:52","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T10:27:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=1303"},"modified":"2025-11-06T10:27:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T10:27:52","slug":"for-gazas-fishermen-the-sea-is-their-last-lifeline-after-israels-war-israel-palestine-conflict-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=1303","title":{"rendered":"For Gaza\u2019s fishermen, the sea is their last lifeline after Israel\u2019s war | Israel-Palestine conflict News"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Surrounded by three walls on a land of ruins, as Israeli bombs continue to rain down from the skies, for many in Gaza, the sea remains the only open horizon, a shimmering promise of elusive freedom.<\/p>\n

Its waters, and the fish within them, have long nourished Palestinians cut off from the world, partially easing the pain of Israel\u2019s bombardment, punishing siege and starvation policies.<\/p>\n

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Targeting a meal for his family, Salem Abu Amira \u2013 known to locals as \u201cThe Beast\u201d \u2013 dives deep beneath the waves. Al Jazeera\u2019s Ibrahim Alkhalili reports from Gaza City.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople here call me \u2018The Beast\u2019 because I managed to catch a fish that was more than a metre and a half [5ft] long. It is rare \u2013 but the truth is I\u2019ve caught many big fish,\u201d Abu Amira tells Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n

Free diving runs in Salem Abu Amira\u2019s blood. He learned the craft from his father at a young age \u2013 a skill passed down through generations and a lifeline for his family.<\/p>\n

Before Israel\u2019s war, Gaza\u2019s fishermen sailed far out to sea, where the waters teemed with fish. In 2020, the World Bank estimated that about 18,000 people in Gaza directly depended on fishing for their livelihoods, with an extended effect on more than 110,000 family members.<\/p>\n

But Israel\u2019s genocidal war decimated that and their lives.<\/p>\n

\"Fishing
Salem Abu Amira, known to locals as \u2018The Beast\u2019, prepares to freedive off the coast of Gaza [Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe can no longer reach the places we used to. Now we can only fish close to the shore \u2013 where there are no big fish,\u201d Abu Amira says.<\/p>\n

\u201cRestrictions have been imposed on us since the beginning of the war and continue to this day. But I have no source of livelihood. I can\u2019t just sit at home waiting for someone to support me,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Before the war, Gaza\u2019s fishermen hauled in more than 4,600 tonnes of fish each year, despite the constant risk of being arrested, injured, or killed by Israeli forces.<\/p>\n

Since the war began, more than two years ago, most of their boats have been destroyed. The Ministry of Agriculture told the United Nations in a report that as of December 11, 2024, the Israeli military had killed 200 fishers and their associates out of approximately 6,000 individuals engaged in the fishing profession.<\/p>\n

Those still trying to cast their nets just metres (some feet) from the shore have come under Israeli fire.<\/p>\n

\"Gaza's
Gaza\u2019s fishermen prepare their boats before going out to sea [Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In January, Israel declared Gaza\u2019s waters a \u201cno-go zone\u201d, banning fishing, swimming, and any access to the sea.<\/p>\n

The result has been devastating: Gaza has lost 94 percent of its catch, cutting off one of its last remaining sources of food.<\/p>\n

Fishing, once a vital source of both income and nourishment, has been brought to its knees.<\/p>\n

\u201cFishermen are the most exposed to danger. Often, the occupation forbids them from going to the sea, and free divers cannot get their diving gear \u2013 which affects their ability to work in the coming days,\u201d Zakaria Bakr, head of the Fishermen\u2019s Committees in Gaza, told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n

After months of displacement, Abu Amira has returned home \u2013 restless, hungry for a catch, and preparing his small boat to venture back into the waters.<\/p>\n

\"Fishing
Salem Abu Amira making a catch under Gaza\u2019s waters [Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe Beast\u201d will dive again, searching for fish he can sell at the market. For fishermen like him, the sea isn\u2019t just a workplace, it\u2019s a lifeline.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am determined to pass on my profession to my children. It is a pleasure and a hobby. Fishing relieves stress and provides a source of income,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

After hours in the water, Salem surfaces with a lucky catch: Several fish and an octopus to feed his family and sell in the market.<\/p>\n

For Gaza\u2019s fishermen, the struggle is no longer just about survival. It\u2019s about preserving a centuries-old bond with the sea, and holding on to the last sense of freedom they have left.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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Surrounded by three walls on a land of ruins, as Israeli bombs continue to rain down from the skies, for many in Gaza, the sea remains the only open horizon, a shimmering promise of elusive freedom. Its waters, and the fish within them, have long nourished Palestinians cut off from the world, partially easing the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1303\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}