Fishermen's Syndicate: Nearly 160 fishermen have been martyred since the beginning of the war

Fishermen: If the war continues, fishing will stop and we will lose our profession

Boats are chasing us in the middle of the sea and we feel death approaching us every moment

There is no equipment in the market, and if it is available, its prices are many times what they were.

“If the war against us continues, we will stop fishing and lose our profession,” said fisherman Mohammed Ayyash, describing their suffering and their practice of fishing under the fire of the Israeli occupation boats that do not stop targeting them.

The Israeli occupation does not limit itself to killing unarmed civilians, but rather pursues fishermen on a daily basis without any mercy. Ayash told Al-Quds.com: “We are exposed to danger and the boats pursue us in the middle of the sea, so we cannot reach the places where fishing is available, and often they open fire on us while we are on the beach.”

Fishermen are directly targeted, forcing many of them to save themselves without being able to fish. He continues: “The boats used to shoot at the fishermen’s boats, so they are more vulnerable to being targeted than the hasakat, but now we are all vulnerable to being targeted,” adding: “The fisherman faces danger every day and enters the sea, risking his life.”

Not only that, but the Israeli occupation has reduced the fishing area, as fishermen used to venture out to about 6 miles into the sea, but now the area does not exceed one nautical mile.

Ayash added: “Despite that, we are being targeted. Many of my fishermen friends were martyred and some were injured.”

He asks helplessly and with frustration: "What is our fault that we are besieged and killed on land, at sea and in the air?"

The suffering of fishermen does not stop at being targeted, but the Israeli occupation deliberately imposes a blockade and closes the crossings to prevent the entry of fishing equipment that enables fishermen to catch different types of fish.

A tragic situation threatens the livelihood of fisherman Ahmed Abu Saada, who considers fishing his only profession to provide for his family of 8.

He told Al-Quds.com: “The fishing net is very worn out, and has been torn by the rocks of the sea. There is no equipment in the markets to buy it, and if it is available, its price is many times higher than it was before the war.” He added: “Its price before the war was 200 shekels, but now it is 2,000 shekels.”

The lack of fishing tools and equipment, in addition to the direct targeting of the occupation, has made many fishermen unable to catch more than a few types of fish.

Abu Saada continues: “We now only catch crab fish and fish with very small seeds.”

He adds: “We only enter the sea one kilometer, so the amount of fish we catch is very small compared to before the war, when we used to catch suitable quantities that we could sell and provide our children with everything they needed.”

The feeling of death is a feeling that haunts fisherman Abdul Qasim, who has been practicing his profession for more than five years. He tells “I” and “Al-Quds” Dot Com: “Many times, the feeling comes to me while I am fishing in the sea, and I tell myself, ‘God knows if I will die now or if I will die now?’”

He continues: “I am very happy when I reach the beach and I am fine and have a suitable amount of catch. I thank God very much that I will provide for my family’s daily needs with the effort of my brow.”

Like other fishermen, Abdul suffers from a lack of fishing equipment. He says: “The fishing net that I live on is torn. I had to buy a spool of thread for eight shekels, which before the war was one shekel. I sewed it and repaired it to provide for my family’s daily sustenance.”

He added: "Before the war, I used to renew it once a week, but now the crossing through which the tools are brought in is closed." He continued: "Fishing is not as important as before."

All fishermen demand an end to the war, an increase in the fishing area, and the lifting of the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip.

In turn, the head of the fishermen's union in the Gaza Strip, Zakaria Bakr, told Al-Quds.com: "About 160 fishermen were martyred while working at sea, including 30 martyrs who were targeted while working on board small boats called paddle boats."

Bakr confirmed that 87% of fishing equipment, such as boats, fishing nets, fishermen’s rooms and warehouses, were destroyed by the bombing of the occupation’s planes and boats.

He added: "The occupation completely destroyed 600 boats, including 96 large boats, in addition to the hasakat of various sizes."

Bakr pointed out that the Israeli occupation directly targeted the Gaza port, leaving a deep hole twenty meters long.