Struggling Seas: Gaza Fishermen Risk Lives Amid Conflict

This article highlights the plight of Palestinian fishermen in Gaza, who face immense challenges due to Israeli restrictions and conflict. With limited access to fishing waters, fishermen like Ibrahim Ghurab and Waseem Al Masry struggle to provide for their families amidst widespread hunger and displacement.

After over a year of intense conflict in Gaza, Palestinian fishermen are gathering along the coastline, desperately casting their nets in a bid to catch enough fish to feed their families amid widespread hunger.

Since Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza following Hamas' attack in October 2023, strict restrictions imposed on the waters off the enclave have made survival incredibly difficult for fishermen. Unable to sail into deeper waters, they are forced to remain along the shore. In Khan Younis, fishermen like Ibrahim Ghurab, 71, and Waseem Al Masry, 24, are limited to fishing for sardines along the shoreline, near makeshift shelters for people displaced by war.

"Life is difficult," expressed Ghurab. "There is no aid; we receive nothing anymore. At the start, we had a little humanitarian assistance, but now, it's nonexistent." Struggling fishermen such as Ghurab and Al Masry grapple daily to secure even a small catch to sustain their families, with rarely any surplus to sell at markets.

(With inputs from agencies.)