Gaza fishermen brave dangers to feed their families with sea crumbs

Rafah (Reuters)

Gaza fisherman Abdel Rahim Al-Najjar risks his life every day, paddling a boat in the middle of the waves under Israeli military surveillance, to catch small amounts of crab and fish from time to time to feed his hungry family.
Fishermen in the small Palestinian enclave have long been subject to a strict Israeli ban on how far they can fish, but since the devastating war began on October 7, none have dared to venture beyond just about 100 meters from the shore.
War, siege, and bombing for more than three months have pushed the Gaza Strip to the brink of famine, as United Nations assessments indicate that the population of the Strip is at risk of famine.
For fishermen, who can barely make it through the first waves in the Mediterranean and cannot reach deeper waters where there are larger quantities of fish, anything they catch is now important to preserve their lives and the lives of their families.
A carpenter said, while sitting on the beach, holding a lone, emaciated crab that he had taken out of his net, “This is what we catch… very little, very little. We hunt 100 meters, very little.”
Young girls sat watching the carpenter at work, searching for scraps in the window as he sorted them and hung them to dry.
Before the war, fishermen used motors in their small boats, which could sail several kilometers from the Gaza coastline. Now they set off in pairs using oars, one paddling while the other stands to cast the nets.
He added that when they reach a distance of more than 100 meters, Israeli forces sometimes fire shells at them to push them back to the beach, in light of increasing security concerns related to the war.
The reason why fishermen are willing to brave shellfire for such a small reward is clear in downtown Rafah, where people have lined up outside a charity kitchen. The children stood, their faces frowning, waiting to eat small amounts of lentils or pasta.
Muhammad Al-Shandaghli, one of the displaced people, said at the kitchen: “Our bodies are collapsing due to the lack of food. My children are sick from the lack of food. It is not enough. It is barely enough for two people and it must be served to seven people. It is not even one meal.”
A UN-backed report in December said Gazans were facing crisis levels of hunger, with the risk of famine rising daily. Recent footage showed clashes while hundreds of people in Gaza City were rushing to deliver scarce aid of flour.