The Israeli army prohibits Palestinians in Gaza from approaching the sea.

BarcelonaTrapped in the horror of indiscriminate bombing, hunger, and thirst, the Palestinians of Gaza had only one place to find some relief: the sea. The Strip follows a 40-km-long coastline (very similar to the Maresme), and there they could at least wash, refresh themselves, and, with very limited limitations, fish. But the Israeli army issued an order this weekend prohibiting them from approaching the sea.

"Strict security restrictions have been imposed in the maritime area adjacent to Gaza: entry to the sea is prohibited. This is a call to fishermen, swimmers, and divers: avoid entering the sea. Entering the beach and the waters along Gaza puts yours at risk," Israeli army spokesperson in Arabic.

The ban was put in place after the Palestinian attack of October 7, but until now it applied only to fishermen. However, it will now apply to any civilian. The timing is no secret: this is when Gaza is suffering the worst water restrictions, the most extreme temperatures, and the worst overcrowding in unsanitary tent camps after 21 months of war in which all red lines have been erased.

"Israeli military boats patrol very close to the coast and shoot at the few fishermen who defy the ban," explains Amaar Khouri, a construction worker displaced with his family in the Al Shati camp on Ga beach, via WhatsApp at the ARA. "Very few people dare to swim at the beach for fear of being shot, and also because of the pollution caused by the discharge of sewage into the sea, due to the destruction of the treatment plants," he adds. "People need to wash their sheets, clothes, and dishes with seawater because very little fresh water reaches us here, and we save it for drinking, but now no one dares to go near the water," the man notes.

Risk of disease

The sea is also the only way out for people due to the overcrowding resulting from the displacement of residents from the northern and eastern regions of Gaza to the beach. The dust and dirt resulting from the demolition of streets and the bombing of buildings also push people to Gaza's beaches. Residents here also depend on drinking and cooking water from water tanks provided by some organizations and solidarity campaigns with the people of Gaza. These help alleviate their water needs, but they do not meet all of them. Residents of the Strip must shower daily due to the summer heat, the dust and dirt that fill the streets, and sewage also flooding the roads. This does not happen. They shower every ten days or more. They also do not change their clothes for weeks due to the lack of spare clothes and the scarcity of water for washing. This has led to the spread of skin diseases among children, women, and men.

According to the UN, approximately 90% of Gaza's population has been forcibly displaced by bombing and evacuation orders issued by the military, with the majority having to settle in tent camps in places without water or electricity. Epidemics spread due to overcrowding, lack of water and hygiene products, in a population stretched to the limit by hunger. Children, the elderly, and pregnant women are the most vulnerable to heat exhaustion, dehydration, and disease. Therefore, bathing in Gaza is not simply a leisure activity, and seawater has become a key resource for washing.

In what the UN has described as the worst hunger crisis on the planet, the sea was a vital resource, although Israeli ships and warships patrolling the coast are busy shooting at fishermen. Before Israel launched its genocidal operation against Gaza, some 6,000 Palestinians were engaged in fishing. Since October 7, according to the UN, at least 210 people have been killed by the Israeli army.

Dead in the water lines

After the Israeli army admitted on Sunday that it had launched "by mistake" a missile against a group of civilians queuing for water, which left at least 10 dead, the Gaza government press office has reported that 700 Palestinians have died in the same circumstances. Hamas has denounced that Israel is waging a "systematic war of thirst," with more than 100 attacks on drinking water distribution points, and with the destruction of 720 wells, which have left 1.2 million Palestinians without access to clean water. The water sanitation system has also collapsed due to the Israeli blockade of the entry of fuel, which runs the pumps that extract water from the wells, the treatment plants and the garbage collection trucks. This makes the groundwater becomes contaminated and the spread of infections.

At least 28 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza on Monday, according to medical sources.