DaysofPal – The Gaza Center for Human Rights has strongly condemned the systematic Israeli targeting of the fishing sector in the Gaza Strip, warning that the attacks have moved from severe restrictions to the “complete and final destruction” of a vital economic lifeline.
In a statement released on Thursday, the rights group said the situation along Gaza’s coast amounts to the eradication of the livelihoods of thousands of Palestinian families. It warned that the destruction of the fishing sector deepens policies that push Gaza’s population toward hunger and deprivation.
According to field monitoring and testimonies from specialists, large-scale destruction has affected the fishing profession over recent months. More than 5,000 fishermen depend on this sector for income and food production.
The group reported that large trawlers and fishing launches, once the backbone of Gaza’s fish production, have been destroyed in Gaza’s main port and at docking areas in Khan Younis and Rafah. These boats have been permanently taken out of service. Before the war, Gaza’s fishing fleet included about 2,000 small boats and nets alongside roughly 100 large vessels. The center said about 95 percent of these assets have been destroyed by Israeli attacks.
Small boats known locally as “haskat,” used mainly by poorer fishermen, have also been heavily targeted. Hundreds of these vessels have been burned or smashed, including boats stored far from the shoreline.
Damage has also extended to engines and fishing equipment. Israeli forces targeted fishermen’s storage rooms, ice factories, and maintenance workshops, leaving the sector without essential infrastructure. Rebuilding the industry now requires resources far beyond the current local capacity, the center said.
The statement added that Israeli forces have declared a closed military zone along Gaza’s coastline. Anyone approaching the sea faces direct fire, effectively preventing fishermen from accessing their traditional fishing grounds.
The organization documented the killing of at least 235 fishermen since the start of the war, including around 40 who were killed while working at sea. Dozens of others have been wounded while attempting to secure food for their families, often within 100 meters of the shore.
The report also noted ongoing arrests of fishermen at sea. At least 43 fishermen have been detained and taken to unknown locations, with their remaining equipment confiscated as an economic punishment.
The rights center said these actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law. It pointed to Article 54 of the Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits attacks on objects indispensable to the survival of civilians, including food sources and agricultural areas.
The organization also said collective punishment against civilians violates Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Targeting boats and fishing ports, it added, breaches fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, including distinction, proportionality, and military necessity.
The group called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop targeting fishermen and to ensure that Gaza’s residents can work at sea without threats to their lives.
It also urged the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to investigate the destruction of the fishing sector within the broader case file concerning the alleged use of starvation against civilians in Gaza.
The center appealed to the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to provide international protection for fishermen and to establish an emergency fund to rebuild fishing ports and supply replacement equipment in order to maintain a minimum level of food security.
The statement ended with a warning that if the international community doesn’t speak out against the devastation of fishermen’s livelihoods, Gaza’s sea could become a permanent danger zone to people who once relied on it for survival.
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