DaysofPal – Two Palestinian fishermen paddle a small, dilapidated boat 200 meters offshore on the azure waters close to the seaport of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. Nearby, 72-year-old fisherman Dawood Sehwail studies a torn fishing net, his gaze fixed on the waves.
Sehwail arrives at the coast each day not only to fish but also to reconnect with a life that war and displacement have disrupted. Forced to leave his home in Rafah in May 2024 during Israel’s war on Gaza, he now stands on the shoreline searching for familiar rhythms in the sea.
“The feeling never gets old,” he said quietly. “You come to see what wonders the sea might still have for you.”
A Life Shaped by the Sea
For decades, Gaza’s fishermen worked under strict limits imposed by Israel. Fishing zones frequently shifted, shrinking without warning. Maritime boundaries outlined in agreements following the Oslo Accords were rarely applied on the water.
“After every Israeli aggression, the consequences fell on us,” Sehwail said. “We were supposed to go further into the sea, but the occupation kept pushing us back.”
Despite the restrictions, fishing remained a fragile source of income for thousands of families. Sehwail once ran a stone distribution business. The tightening blockade on Gaza in 2007 forced him to close it, pushing him back to a childhood trade he believed he had left behind.
“Our profession is day by day,” he explained. “If you worked and were lucky, you could sell your catch and feed your family. Sometimes you even saved a little for your children’s future.”
War Leaves the Fishing Sector in Ruins
Within days of Israel’s war on Gaza beginning in October 2023, the fishing industry collapsed. Airstrikes destroyed the territory’s seaport and hit fishing facilities along the coastline. Boats were burned or sunk.
“The Rafah fishermen had six trawlers,” Sehwail recalled. “All of them were bombed.”
His own boat and nets survived for a time before being destroyed shortly before his displacement from Rafah.
At the harbor in Khan Younis, the damage is visible everywhere. Burned boats and shattered hulls lie scattered along the sand. Many now serve a different purpose: supporting makeshift shelters for displaced families.
A rusted skeleton of a fishing trawler protrudes from the beach while children play nearby. For fishermen who remain, improvisation has become the only option.
“We borrow tools,” Sehwail said. “Some people turn refrigerator parts into floating boards. We have no motors, only paddles. We use whatever is left.”
Sehwail’s connection to the sea stretches back generations. His family originally came from the coastal village of Jourat Asqalan, whose Palestinian residents were displaced during the Nakba in 1948.
“The bond with the sea is powerful,” he said. “My home in Rafah was close to the beach. Even in displacement, the sea stays with me.”
Material destruction tells only part of the story. According to the Gaza Fishermen’s Syndicate, at least 238 fishermen have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023, either at sea or on land.
Before the war, the sector included more than 5,000 fishermen who supported about 50,000 family members. The industry now operates under severe danger and uncertainty.
Zakaria Baker, head of the syndicate, said most fishermen hesitate to travel far from shore. Many limit their trips to around 800 meters offshore in small boats.
“The sea is practically closed,” Baker said.
Israeli naval vessels remain visible along the horizon. Sehwail pointed toward one while speaking on the shore.
“They are always there,” he said. “We enter the water at our own risk.”
Fishermen report sudden chases by naval boats, gunfire directed at vessels, and arrests at sea.
“They can see exactly what we are doing,” Sehwail said. “Sometimes the soldier lets you fish. Sometimes he decides to shoot.”
“What exists today is not real fishing,” he added. “It is risking your life for the hope of bringing back one or two fish.”
Food Security Under Threat
Fishing once played an important role in Gaza’s food supply. According to the United Nations, by the end of 2024, the sector operated at less than 7.3 percent of its capacity before October 2023. About 72 percent of Gaza’s fishing fleet had been damaged or destroyed.
Access to deeper waters once allowed fishermen to catch a variety of species. Today, boats rarely venture beyond shallow coastal areas.
“The further west we went, the more types of fish we found,” Sehwail said. “Now there are only small amounts, mostly young sardines.”
Months of severe shortages have turned fresh protein into a rare commodity in Gaza. Fish available in markets often arrives frozen from outside suppliers and costs far more than locally caught fish once did. Many families cannot afford it due to the economic collapse across the territory.
Baker stressed that rebuilding the sector requires more than a ceasefire. Equipment, materials, and compensation remain blocked from entering Gaza.
“Fishermen need safe and stable conditions to work again,” he said.
Standing beside the water that shaped his life, Sehwail reflected on what he and others still hope for.
“We are simple people,” he said. “We only want to live with dignity and provide for our families. All fishermen in Gaza need support so we can fish the way we truly deserve.”
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