DayofPal– Despite the complete destruction of Gaza’s fishing port and all its boats by the Israeli occupation forces during the war on the Strip since October 2023, Gazan fisherman Khaled Habib refused to surrender. Instead, he found a way to keep his livelihood alive, overcoming immense challenges.
Habib ingeniously built a raft, known locally as a Hasaka, from refrigerator door, stuffed cork into old fridge doors to make them buoyant, and used wood and plastic sheeting to help make it waterproof.
“My raft can carry three people,” Habib explained. “Since the occupation destroyed our fishing nets and bans them from entering Gaza, I had to use an iron cage instead. I also prepare a special homemade dough to use as fish bait.”
However, his fishing expeditions remain limited. He only ventures short distances into the sea, fearing Israeli attacks. “I had no choice but to come up with this idea because fish supplies in Gaza have nearly vanished,” he said.
His innovation has already inspired other fishermen, who now build their own rafts. “There are no fishing nets, no boats—everything has been wiped out by the war. After losing my boat, I had to create something new.”
Yet, the situation remains dire. “The war has devastated the fishing industry. We catch very little, and the Israeli military constantly targets us. It’s extremely difficult, and we are always under fire. We can’t even sail far into the sea,” Habib lamented.
Zakaria Bakr, head of the Fishermen’s Union in Gaza, confirmed that more than 4,500 fishermen have been forced to stop working since the war began. “For Israel, this war was a golden opportunity to obliterate Gaza’s fishing industry,” he stated.
“The occupation left no boat intact,” Bakr added. “They destroyed around 600 boats and 120 storage rooms filled with fishing gear, nets, engines, and even ice factories essential to the industry.”
The bombardment of Gaza’s fishing port was so intense that it was split in half. The toll on human lives has been staggering with 150 fishermen killed, including 50 who were shot while at sea, even though they had not ventured more than 500 meters from shore.
“The Israeli military is deliberately starving us by preventing fishermen from returning to the sea,” Bakr said.
The financial losses are staggering as the industry has lost an estimated $120 million with the total losses likely exceeding $200 millions after assessing all the damage.
Adnan Al-Aqra, a fisherman from Gaza, is a victim of Israeli attack on fishing sector. He supports a family of 13, inherited the profession from his father and grandfather, but today, he finds himself powerless against the brutal reality imposed by Israel’s war of annihilation.
“They’ve closed off the sea, leaving thousands of fishermen without work. We tried to fish just a few meters from shore, but even that was too dangerous,” he said.
“The occupation doesn’t want us to live. They’ve imposed a suffocating naval blockade, and when we try to work in the shallow waters near the shore, we become direct targets for their gunfire.”
On the morning of February 10, 2024, his 24-year-old son, Mahmoud, went out to help him fish, but he never returned.
“It was around 7:15 AM,” Adnan recalled. “Mahmoud drifted slightly further into the water, and the Israeli gunboats were waiting. They fired two shells directly at him. Right in front of our eyes, he was killed in the sea.”
He continued as his voice was heavy with grief. “I couldn’t do anything to save him. I watched my son bleed out and sink, while the warships kept firing at anyone who tried to get close.”
Adnan’s cousin, Majdi Al-Aqra, faced a similar fate. The Israeli military bombed and burned all four of his fishing boats, wiping out his only source of income.
“We lost everything,” Majdi said. “They deliberately targeted our boats, setting them ablaze. They didn’t stop there, they destroyed our nets, our gear, everything we depend on to make a living. How are we supposed to survive now?”
Majdi supports an extended family of 60, including his siblings and their children. “We used to live off fishing, but now, that’s no longer an option,” he said.
“Today, we survive on charity and humanitarian aid,” he added bitterly. “But for how long?”
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