The Israeli occupation forces have continued to target Gaza’s fishing sector, representing another form of systematic targeting of Palestinians’ sources of livelihood. The sea has been turned into an area of pursuit and gunfire, while hundreds of boats and facilities linked to the fishing profession have been destroyed, placing severe pressure on a vital sector on which thousands of families in the Strip depend.

In a new human rights report titled “Boats Under Fire,” the Protection for Human Rights Center has revealed alarming figures concerning violations faced by fishermen and the maritime sector in Gaza. The report covers the period from October 7, 2023, to October 2026.

The center stressed that during this period, the fishing sector was subjected to systematic and direct targeting, including killings, injuries and arrests, as well as widespread destruction of boats, facilities and maritime infrastructure, at a time when thousands of Palestinian families rely on fishing as their primary source of livelihood.

According to the report, the center documented the deaths of 235 Palestinian fishermen and injuries to 143 others, including 16 who sustained serious injuries. It also recorded 130 cases of arrests while fishermen were attempting to carry out their professional duties.

The report also documented the vandalism and destruction of 1,810 fishing boats, including small motorized boats, rowboats and large fishing vessels. The destruction has severely affected fishermen’s ability to access the sea and continue their work.

The destruction was not limited to boats. The center confirmed that 270 of the 310 fishing stations along Gaza’s coastline had been destroyed. In addition, a water desalination plant, an ice factory and a kitchen designated to serve fishermen were also destroyed.

The Protection Center stated that throughout the war, Israeli forces reduced the permitted fishing zone to “zero nautical miles” and continued direct and daily gunfire along Gaza’s entire coastline in an effort to prevent fishermen from reaching the sea and pursuing their profession.

At the conclusion of its report, the Protection for Human Rights Center called on the international community to take immediate and urgent action to protect fishermen and civilians and safeguard their right to work and earn a dignified livelihood.

The center also called for the opening of humanitarian corridors to facilitate the travel of the wounded and sick abroad for medical treatment, the entry of food aid, medicines and essential supplies into the Gaza Strip, and practical measures to ensure that those responsible for the alleged violations are held accountable before international justice mechanisms in accordance with the principles of international law.