Gazan fishermen patch up dinghies with door frames to keep themselves afloat

In a Gaza workshop, a group of men patch up pleasure dinghies with reclaimed fibreglass, wood and door frames pulled from the rubble, racing to get the boats ready for a tougher line of work. The small vessels, which were used by families and swimmers before the war, have become a lifeline for the enclave’s fishing industry which has been struggling to keep up its fleet. Israeli restrictions on new fibreglass and other materials entering Gaza have made it increasingly difficult and expensive to repair the larger, purpose-built boats, fishermen said. Palestinian workers repair a skiff damaged in the Israeli offensive, in Gaza City on June 3, 2026. —Reuters “A kilo of fibreglass in the era before the war was 50 or 60 shekels,” fisherman Mohammad al-Hissi told Reuters. The cost today was around 800 shekels, he added. Total catch has plummeted, say fishermen COGAT, the Israeli military agency that controls access to Gaza, told Reuters the bans cover items that could have a military as well as a civilian use. It did not directly comment on restrictions on fibreglass. Skiffs used by Palestinian fishermen are docked on the beach in Gaza City on June 3, 2026. —Reuters Even before the war that began in October 2023, Gaza’s fishermen faced strict Israeli restrictions on how far they could go out to sea. Now, they say they keep even closer to shore to avoid shooting that they report has continued since last year’s ceasefire. Skiffs used by Palestinian fishermen are docked on the beach in Gaza City on June 3, 2026. —Reuters Asked about the reports, Israel’s military claimed the navy was enforcing “maritime security restrictions” in Gaza’s waters and that, when those restrictions were violated, soldiers “operate in accordance with the rules of engagement”. More than 900 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce began, according to figures from Gaza health officials that do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. A Palestinian fisherman checks his