DEIR AL-BALAH, The Gaza Strip (AP) 鈥� Despite the dire humanitarian crisis across , where a fragile ceasefire remains in place, a handful of Palestinian surfers are 鈥� and relief 鈥� riding the waves of the territory鈥檚 Mediterranean coastal waters.
Only three or four men still surf due to a shortage of surfboards and the materials needed to fix damaged ones, said Tahseen Abu Assi, a surfer in Gaza City.
Abu Assi carried his surfboard with him through every displacement he endured during the two-year war because, he said, he wouldn’t be able to replace it.
鈥淚f something happened to it I won鈥檛 be able to get another one,鈥� he said, noting that no boards have entered the Palestinian territory since 2007. Surfboards are among sports equipment and other products that are banned by Israel.
On Tuesday, Abu Assi was among three surfers who took to the sea off the Gaza City port, including Khalil Abu Jiab, who road the high waves with his arms raised in joy.
After the war began, the Israeli military heavily , with the United Nations reporting that some fishermen were attacked onshore or at sea, including incidents involving fishermen using paddle boats.
Last year, Israel declared Gaza鈥檚 waters a 鈥渘o-go zone,鈥� banning fishing, swimming and sea access, making surfing risky.
Fishing and swimming are prohibited and dangerous in the waters off northern and southern Gaza. It’s also risky to enter the waters off central Gaza, where Gaza City is located, due to Israeli patrols.
鈥淭here is fear of course, but we can鈥檛 leave this sport,” Abu Assi said. “During the war, in the middle of the war, in the middle of the bombing and the planes above us, we used to go down and practice this sport.鈥�
Gaza鈥檚 waves rarely rise high enough for surfing, so when they do, surfers drop everything to get in the water, he added.
Intense fighting across the enclave eased after a took effect on Oct. 10, but have continued, with both Hamas and Israel accusing each other of violating the truce.
Israel鈥檚 war with Hamas broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, after the , killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking another 251 hostage. Israel鈥檚 military offensive in Gaza has killed 72,628 Palestinians and injured 172,520 others, according to the latest figures by Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry.
Palestinians continue to struggle to secure food, clean water, medical care and shelter after the war caused widespread destruction, dismantled healthcare infrastructure and displaced most of the territory鈥檚 residents.
But for the territory’s few surfers, there is relief, even if only fleeting, when they take to the waves.
鈥淎s soon as the sea gets high, you leave your work and leave your whole life,鈥� Abu Assi said. “Work can be caught up on, as they say. We go practice this sport.鈥�
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