For decades, Gaza’s fishing sector has been a vital source of sustenance and income for thousands of families. Today, it stands on the brink of collapse, systematically dismantled by Israel’s relentless war on the besieged Strip. Zakaria Bakr, head of the Palestinian Fishermen’s Union, describes the devastation as deliberate, with over 90% of Gaza’s fishing infrastructure destroyed in what he calls an attempt to erase the sector entirely.

Before the war, Gaza’s waters were home to a fleet of 1,100 fishing boats, including 96 large launches. Now, only one operational launch remains. The destruction extends beyond boats—120 fishing facilities have been reduced to rubble, crucial equipment has been set ablaze, and even Gaza’s port breakwater has been shattered by Israeli missiles. The toll is not just financial; 150 fishermen have lost their lives, many while desperately trying to secure food for their families in the face of suffocating restrictions.

The assault on Gaza’s fishing industry is not new. For years, Israeli forces have imposed crippling restrictions, blocking the import of essential supplies like boat engines and constantly shifting permitted fishing zones. Today, fishermen are confined to mere meters from shore, where Israeli drones and naval forces target them with gunfire and explosives. In recent days, four fishermen were injured by drone attacks, while 15 others have been detained in Israel’s ongoing campaign against Gaza’s maritime sector.

The financial losses are staggering—estimated between $80 million and $100 million—while the sector’s continued paralysis costs an additional $7 million each month. Once a lifeline for 50,000 people, Gaza’s fishing industry has been reduced to a shadow of its former self. Yet, amid the devastation, fishermen remain defiant, risking their lives daily to keep their boats afloat and their families fed, refusing to surrender to the systematic erasure of their way of life.