Balanced calmly on top of what was once a refrigerator door, fisherman Khaled Habib uses a makeshift paddle to navigate the waters of Gaza City’s fishing port.
Over 15 months of Israeli bombardment have destroyed most of the boats in the harbor, devastating the fishermen’s livelihoods.
“We’re in a very difficult situation today, struggling with fishing. There are no fishing boats left. They’ve all been destroyed and left in ruins,” said Habib.
“I built this boat from refrigerator doors and cork, and thankfully it works.”
To provide for his family, Habib came up with the idea of filling old fridge doors with cork to make them float. He covered one side with wood and the other with plastic sheeting to make the makeshift paddleboard waterproof.
Due to the lack of nets, Habib also crafted a fishing cage out of wire, though he admitted that his catch is “small.”
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated in December that the conflict has pushed Gaza’s “once-thriving fishing sector to the brink of collapse.”
“Gaza’s average daily catch between October 2023 and April 2024 dropped to just 7.3 percent of 2022 levels, resulting in a $17.5 million production loss,” the FAO reported.
Using dough as bait, Habib now fishes mainly within the small port area.
Despite the fragile ceasefire that took effect on January 19, which has largely halted the fighting, Habib said fishing outside the port is prohibited. “If we venture beyond the fishermen’s harbor, Israeli boats will shoot at us,” he explained.
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