For Gaza’s fishermen, the sea is their last lifeline after Israel’s war

Known arsenic ‘The Beast’, Gaza fisherman Salem Abu Amira risks his beingness to provender his household nether Israel’s punishing siege.

Surrounded by 3 walls connected a onshore of ruins, arsenic Israeli bombs proceed to rainfall down from the skies, for galore successful Gaza, the oversea remains the lone unfastened horizon, a shimmering committedness of elusive freedom.

Its waters, and the food wrong them, person agelong nourished Palestinians chopped disconnected from the world, partially easing the symptom of Israel’s bombardment, punishing siege and starvation policies.

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Targeting a repast for his family, Salem Abu Amira – known to locals arsenic “The Beast” – dives heavy beneath the waves. Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Alkhalili reports from Gaza City.

“People present telephone maine ‘The Beast’ due to the fact that I managed to drawback a food that was much than a metre and a fractional [5ft] long. It is uncommon – but the information is I’ve caught galore large fish,” Abu Amira tells Al Jazeera.

Free diving runs successful Salem Abu Amira’s blood. He learned the trade from his begetter astatine a young property – a accomplishment passed down done generations and a lifeline for his family.

Before Israel’s war, Gaza’s fishermen sailed acold retired to sea, wherever the waters teemed with fish. In 2020, the World Bank estimated that astir 18,000 radical successful Gaza straight depended connected sportfishing for their livelihoods, with an extended effect connected much than 110,000 household members.

But Israel’s genocidal warfare decimated that and their lives.

Salem Abu Amira, known to locals arsenic ‘The Beast’, prepares to freedive disconnected the seashore of Gaza [Al Jazeera]

“We tin nary longer scope the places we utilized to. Now we tin lone food adjacent to the enactment – wherever determination are nary large fish,” Abu Amira says.

“Restrictions person been imposed connected america since the opening of the warfare and proceed to this day. But I person nary root of livelihood. I can’t conscionable beryllium astatine location waiting for idiosyncratic to enactment me,” helium adds.

Before the war, Gaza’s fishermen hauled successful much than 4,600 tonnes of food each year, contempt the changeless hazard of being arrested, injured, oregon killed by Israeli forces.

Since the warfare began, much than 2 years ago, astir of their boats person been destroyed. The Ministry of Agriculture told the United Nations successful a study that arsenic of December 11, 2024, the Israeli subject had killed 200 fishers and their associates retired of astir 6,000 individuals engaged successful the sportfishing profession.

Those inactive trying to formed their nets conscionable metres (some feet) from the enactment person travel nether Israeli fire.

Gaza’s fishermen hole their boats earlier going retired to oversea [Al Jazeera]

In January, Israel declared Gaza’s waters a “no-go zone”, banning fishing, swimming, and immoderate entree to the sea.

The effect has been devastating: Gaza has mislaid 94 percent of its catch, cutting disconnected 1 of its past remaining sources of food.

Fishing, erstwhile a captious root of some income and nourishment, has been brought to its knees.

“Fishermen are the astir exposed to danger. Often, the concern forbids them from going to the sea, and escaped divers cannot get their diving cogwheel – which affects their quality to enactment successful the coming days,” Zakaria Bakr, caput of the Fishermen’s Committees successful Gaza, told Al Jazeera.

After months of displacement, Abu Amira has returned location – restless, bare for a catch, and preparing his tiny vessel to task backmost into the waters.

Salem Abu Amira making a drawback nether Gaza’s waters [Al Jazeera]

“The Beast” volition dive again, searching for food helium tin merchantability astatine the market. For fishermen similar him, the oversea isn’t conscionable a workplace, it’s a lifeline.

“I americium determined to walk connected my assemblage to my children. It is simply a pleasance and a hobby. Fishing relieves accent and provides a root of income,” helium says.

After hours successful the water, Salem surfaces with a fortunate catch: Several food and an octopus to provender his household and merchantability successful the market.

For Gaza’s fishermen, the conflict is nary longer conscionable astir survival. It’s astir preserving a centuries-old enslaved with the sea, and holding connected to the past consciousness of state they person left.