Starved and Scorched: The Sea – Gaza's Last Refuge – Has Become a Killing Zone - Opinion - Haaretz.com
At the start of the week, temperatures in the Gaza Strip reached 37°C. At the same time, the IDF spokesperson issued an urgent warning in Arabic to Gaza residents: entering the sea is forbidden, and anyone who violates the order is putting their life at immediate risk.
Nearly the entire population of Gaza has been displaced. Hundreds of thousands are crowded into tents or the ruins of destroyed buildings. To obtain food or aid, they must walk for kilometers under the scorching sun. There is no electricity to power fans – and no fans to power – and drinkable water is scarce. There is simply no escape from the oppressive heat.
So, many Gazans turn to the sea. They try to catch small fish near the shore to feed their families, wash their clothes and bodies, and find a brief respite from the stifling conditions.
They know the sea is dangerous. It was dangerous even before the war due to Israel's restrictions on fishing zones. But now, the risk is far greater. Since the war began, dozens of Gazans have been shot dead while in the water, most of them while fishing.
"Fishermen used to joke with their families before heading out to sea - 'Today, either you eat or you pray over my body,'" said Zakaria Baker of the Gaza Fishing Union. "I remember the last fisherman killed by the Israeli Navy, just days before the ceasefire took effect. He had entered the water no more than 300 meters from shore. We couldn't retrieve his body for 10 days because it was too dangerous. I can't even describe the sight. Fish had eaten the body. It was horrifying."
Fishing was once a key source of income and food security for Gazans, but it has been nearly obliterated in the current war. Airstrikes, shelling and naval attacks have severely damaged essential infrastructure: fishing boats, ponds, and port equipment have been taken out of commission.
Even during cease-fires, Israel forbids fishermen from entering the sea. As a result, the price of fish has skyrocketed to 200 shekels per kilogram, making it unattainable for most residents.
As a result, and amid growing hunger, the quantity of fresh fish in Gaza's markets has plummeted. Between October 2023 and April 2024, income from fishing dropped to just 7.3% of the daily average recorded in 2022. This represents a loss of $17.5 million, excluding damage to fish ponds and other facilities.
Palestinians fisherman paddle near Gaza's port on May 29. Fishing was once vital to Gaza's economy and food supply, but it has been nearly destroyed in the war.Credit: Jehad Alshrafi/AP
In the context of ongoing restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the Strip, the fishing industry could have helped ease food shortages – even modestly. But Israel's destruction of the sector has only deepened the crisis.
The ban on entering the sea and on fishing is part of Israel's starvation policy. The dismantling of Gaza's food systems and independent production has enabled Israel to weaponize the humanitarian aid and turn it into a tool of leverage in the war. Yet, under international law, as the occupying power and a party to the conflict, Israel is obligated to ensure the welfare of the civilian population. It must immediately cease attacks on fishermen and fishing infrastructure, lift restrictions on access to the sea, and allow in the equipment needed to rebuild the industry.
"I miss the sea, every part of it," said Muhammed, a fisherman in his 20s, in a study by Gisha, an Israeli non-profit that advocates for Palestinian freedom of movement, on the destruction of the Gaza food industry, including fishing. "I really miss everything... putting the boat in the water, the waves."
Israel's ban deprives Gazans not only of a critical source of income and food, but also of access to their last refuge from the deadly heat. With Gaza's water, sanitation, and hygiene systems nearly collapsed – due in part to fuel restrictions that prevent wells and treatment facilities from operating – residents are denied even the limited possibility, however imperfect, of washing, cooling off, and maintaining a basic sense of human dignity.
Noa Galili is in charge of government relations, research and advocacy at Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement.