Gaza residents face risks while fishing in Israeli-controlled waters

Palestinian Fishermen Struggle Under Israeli Blockade

In the Khan Younis seaport, two Palestinian fishermen paddled their small boat nearly 200 meters into the sea. Dawood Sehwail, a 72-year-old fisherman from Rafah, stood on the shore inspecting a torn net, his eyes fixed on the waves.

Sehwail was displaced from his home in May 2024 due to Israel’s military actions in Gaza. He now visits the water’s edge daily to escape and study the sea. “The feeling never gets old,” he said. Sehwail explained that Palestinian fishermen have faced restrictions imposed by Israel since at least October 2023, including reduced fishing zones and unimplemented maritime boundaries.

Before the Israeli blockade, which began in 2007, Gaza’s fishermen operated under varying conditions. The distances they were permitted to travel in the sea constantly shifted, often shrinking without warning. Sehwail recalled that after every Israeli aggression, the consequences fell on the fishermen. “We were supposed to [be allowed to] go further into the sea,” he said.

Sehwail once owned a stone distribution business but was forced to shut it down due to the blockade. He turned to fishing as a child and eventually returned to the profession after being displaced. The sector collapsed almost instantly in May 2024, with Gaza’s seaport destroyed by Israeli air strikes and fishing installations bombed from north to south.

At Khan Younis port, the aftermath is evident. Broken or burned boats are now used as tent supports, tied with ropes to hold fragile shelters in place. Sehwail said that fishermen improvise, using borrowed tools and makeshift materials such as refrigerator parts to create floating boards. The Gaza Fishermen’s Syndicate reported at least 238 fishermen killed by Israel since October 2023.

Sehwail’s connection to the sea runs generations deep, but material destruction has taken a toll on Gaza’s fishermen. His children and their families are scattered across displacement camps.

Source: Al Jazeera