The Israeli military deliberately destroys all livelihoods in Gaza as part of its ongoing aggression since October 7th, which has led to the martyrdom of about 19,000 people, mostly women and children.
Among the livelihoods devastated by the Israeli aggression is the profession of fishing and its components, annihilating the income of a large segment of the population.
Despite the harsh Israeli bombardment by land, sea, and air, some fishermen risk their lives and head to the sea shore in the hopes of catching fish to feed themselves and their children amid the crippling siege that has deprived them of all basic life necessities.
One of these fishermen is Abu Tamer Fayyad from Deir al-Balah refugee camp in central Gaza Strip. He states that their suffering has been ongoing for years due to the long Israeli blockade, now exacerbated by the current aggression.
Gaza fishermen during Israeli aggression on the Strip (Anadolu Agency)
No Alternative to Fishing
Fayyad further comments, "The Israeli aggression has been continuous for 70 days, and the machinery of war and destruction hasn't stopped for a moment. The living and life conditions for the fishermen are tough. We have many needs, how are we supposed to fulfill them if we can't practice our work?"
As he sits on the beach with his son, waiting for a catch on his line, Fayyad talks about how fishermen escape the pressures of life, caused by the Israeli aggression, to the sea despite the risk of being targeted.
He confirms that Israeli warships continuously target fishing boats and fishermen in all areas of the Gaza Strip, highlighting that fishermen have been suffering from the long years of the Israeli siege.
Approximately 2.4 million Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip, who were suffering catastrophic conditions even before this war, due to the continuous Israeli blockade since Hamas won the legislative elections in 2006.
Fishing is a vital source of income for thousands of families in the Strip. Israel restricts Gaza’s fishing boats to a mere 6 nautical miles and patrols them with Israeli ships and special naval forces that fire upon anyone crossing those borders.
Disastrous Situation
Elsewhere on the seaside, fisherman Hassan Hajji sorts his day's catch by species.
The forty-year-old Hajji describes the conditions of the fishermen in light of the continuous Israeli attacks as catastrophic.
Hajji – displaced from the Beach camp in the north of the Strip towards Deir al-Balah – states that those who currently practice fishing are risking their lives due to targeting by Israeli warships.
He notes that a few days ago, the Israeli army boats targeted one of the fishermen from Al-Masari family at sea, close to the beach on a simple manual boat, leading to his martyrdom.
Hajji adds that fishermen try to earn their daily bread by going to sea in simple boats, using hand fishing nets, or rods, pointing out that the army targeted the ports of Gaza, Deir al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Rafah, and the fishing boats.
Regarding the fish catch, he mentions that it is very modest and does not meet the needs of the residents and displaced people in the central and southern areas.
He highlights that fish prices have doubled compared to the past, but despite this, citizens are inclined to buy due to the high prices of red and white meats and groceries.
Hajji concludes, "What's happening to the residents of the Gaza Strip is organized crime amid Arab and international silence."
It is noted that the quantity of fish caught annually in the Gaza Strip was 2,800 tons (before the October 7th aggression) and exceeded 4,000 tons annually before Israeli restrictions were imposed on the fishermen after the outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000.
The Oslo Accords signed between Palestinian Liberation Organization and Israel in 1993 stipulated a legal distance of 20 nautical miles for Palestinians to move freely without Israeli obstruction.
Arrest and Pursuit
Twenty-year-old fisherman Said Abu Holi also speaks of his suffering in light of the war and siege, "We face constant gunfire and pursuit, and the boats target the fishermen at sea."
He explains that the Palestinian fisherman is now in an enviable situation as the occupation has destroyed many families through the demolition of fishing boats and small skiffs, preventing fishermen from going to sea.
Abu Holi, displaced from the Al-Matahen area east of Deir al-Balah to Al-Mashael west, fleeing the Israeli military incursions, works on fishing with primitive means.
Meanwhile, Nizar Ayyash, head of Palestinian Fishermen's Union, says the occupation has been combating fishermen for 17 years with targeting, arresting, and pursuing, but this has become clearly evident in the current war.
Ayyash wonders at the silence of the international and Arab community towards the Israeli aggression on the Strip, asking, "Isn't all that has happened enough – the crimes against our people, including fishermen?".
He also demands immediate action to stop the aggression, lift the siege, and repair what the Israeli army has destroyed in the fishing sector since fishermen are unable to repair even one damaged boat, noting that for years the occupation has been preventing the entry of essential materials and equipment necessary for the fishing sector, which comprises around 1,500 boats of different sizes.
