Gaza Fishermen Face Danger as They Venture into Israeli Controlled Waters
Gaza’s fishing industry has been devastated by the Israeli blockade, forcing fishermen to risk their lives for increasingly smaller catches
Khan Younis, Gaza Strip – On the rippling blue waters near Khan Younis seaport, two Palestinian fishermen slowly paddled their worn-out boat about 200 metres (656 feet) into the sea. On the shoreline, 72-year-old Palestinian fisherman Dawood Sehwail stood repairing a torn fishing net, his eyes fixed on the waves as though he were reading a language only he could understand.
Sehwail was displaced from Rafah, further south, in May 2024 during Israel’s devastating war on Gaza. Now he comes to the shore every day not only to fish, but also to find a moment of escape, observe the sea, and hold on to memories.
“The feeling never fades,” he said with a quiet smile that belies his age. “You come here to see what surprises the sea might still offer.”
“We have always lived under restrictions imposed by Israel,” Sehwail said softly. “Some periods were simply less harsh than others.”
Even before October 2023, when Israel launched its large scale war on Gaza, fishermen in the Palestinian enclave operated under severe Israeli limitations. Fishing zones were repeatedly restricted, and maritime boundaries outlined in agreements following the 1993 Oslo Accords were rarely respected in practice. The distance fishermen were allowed to travel at sea changed constantly and often shrank without warning.
“After every Israeli attack, the consequences fell on us,” Sehwail explained. “We were supposed to be able to go further into the sea, but the occupation kept pushing us back.”
Controlling the Sea
For a coastal territory, the sea should have been a vital source of food, income, and stability. Instead, under Israel’s blockade controlling Gaza’s land, air, and sea since 2007 it has become another means of restriction and pressure.
Sehwail once owned a stone distribution business, but after the blockade tightened in 2007 he was forced to shut it down. Eventually he returned to fishing, a skill he had learned as a child and once believed he had left behind.
“Our work depends on each day,” he said. “If you worked hard and were lucky, you could sell your catch and feed your family. If you were very fortunate, you might even save a little for your children’s future.”
But within days of Israel’s war on Gaza, everything changed. Gaza’s seaport was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, and fishing facilities across the coastline were bombed. Boats were burned or sunk, causing the fishing sector to collapse almost immediately.
“Fishermen in Rafah had six large trawlers,” Sehwail recalled. “All of them were bombed and burned. I tried to keep my own small boat and nets for as long as possible, but they were destroyed by the occupation just days before we were displaced in May 2024.”
At the port of Khan Younis, the destruction is still visible. The harbour has turned into a crowded displacement area. Damaged and burned boats no longer serve as vessels but as makeshift supports for tents, tied with ropes to hold fragile shelters.
The rusting frame of a destroyed trawler now sticks out of the sand where displaced children play nearby. Despite the devastation, fishermen continue to improvise.
“Now our main goal is simply to survive,” Sehwail said. “We borrow equipment. Some even turn refrigerator parts into floating boards. We have no motors anymore only paddles. We use whatever we can find.”
Originally from the coastal village of Jourat Asqalan, whose Palestinian residents were displaced during the 1948 Nakba and the establishment of Israel, Sehwail’s connection to the sea stretches back generations.
“The bond with the sea is very strong,” he said. “My home in Rafah was also close to the beach. Even in displacement, the sea keeps me company. But my children and their families are now scattered across different camps.”
No Safety
Beyond material destruction, Gaza’s fishermen have also faced deadly risks. According to the Gaza Fishermen’s Syndicate, at least 238 fishermen have been killed by Israel since October 2023 either at sea or on land among more than 72,000 Palestinians killed overall.
Before the war, the fishing sector included more than 5,000 fishermen and supported over 50,000 family members who depended on fishing as their main source of income. Even after the ceasefire declared in October, Israeli violations reportedly continued, with more than 20 fishermen killed or detained.
“The sea is practically closed,” Zakaria Baker, head of Gaza’s Fishermen Syndicate, said in a recent interview with a news channel.
Baker explained that many fishermen are afraid to go more than 800 metres (2,625 feet) offshore in their small boats, as there is still uncertainty about how far they are allowed to travel.
Standing by the shore, Sehwail pointed toward an Israeli naval vessel.
“They are always there,” he said. “There is no official permission for us to fish. We go out at our own risk. The farthest we can reach is around 800 metres, and even that depends on their mood.”
He described sudden pursuits by Israeli naval forces, with boats sometimes fired upon or sunk and fishermen detained.
“They can clearly see what we are doing,” he said. “But it depends on the soldier’s mood whether he allows you to fish or decides to shoot.”
“Israel has ‘executed’ fishing in Gaza,” Sehwail said with pain. “What we do now is not real fishing it’s risking your life for the chance to bring back one or two fish to your tent.”
A Critical Source of Food
Before the war, Gaza’s fishing industry played an important role in food security and poverty reduction. According to the United Nations, by the end of 2024 the sector was operating at less than 7.3 percent of its production capacity compared to levels before October 2023. The UN also estimated that about 72 percent of Gaza’s fishing fleet had been damaged or destroyed.
The collapse of the sector has severely affected food supply, income opportunities, and community resilience. Fishing access has been reduced to less than one nautical mile (1.85 km), drastically limiting both the quantity and variety of fish available.
“In the past, the farther west we went, the greater the variety of fish we could find,” Sehwail explained. “But now, in the shallow waters, there are only small quantities mostly young sardines that should be left to grow. But people take whatever they can find.”
Months of food shortages have turned fresh sources of protein into a rare commodity, making fish an occasional luxury.
Even now, despite some relief following the ceasefire, most fish sold in Gaza’s markets are frozen imports, often more expensive than fresh local fish was before the war. With the economy devastated, many families simply cannot afford them.
Baker stressed that rebuilding the fishing sector requires more than ceasefire agreements.
“So far, no materials or compensation have been allowed in,” he said. “Israeli restrictions still block the entry of equipment. Fishermen need stable and safe conditions so they can return to work without fear of being shot.”
“The fishermen are simple and poor people,” Sehwail said. “All we want is to live with dignity and provide for our families. Across Gaza from north to south we all need support so that we can fish freely again, as we deserve.”
Watch This Important video
