Gaza fishermen and surfers resume sea activity after October ceasefire

Three surfers in Gaza City have resumed riding waves off the coast nearly eight months after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October. Al-Monitor reported that the men paddle out past tents and damaged buildings, with children playing in the shallows nearby.

Tahseen Abu Assi, 23, said he learned the sport from his father and keeps practicing because it provides a sense of safety.

"This sport is indescribable. When you catch a wave, ride it, glide along it, that feeling can't be put into words," he told AFP. He added that the activity allows participants to breathe amid shelling and destruction, though he noted the situation remains unstable with possible explosives landing nearby at any time.

Abdel Rahim Al-Ustadh, 19, described using candle wax on boards because surf wax is unavailable due to import restrictions. He preserves a red and blue board nearly two decades old, calling such equipment essential treasures. Khalil Abu Jiyab, 18, has surfed for 13 years.

Before the war a team of 17 existed in Gaza; now only three remain because of shortages and lack of boards. "There's nothing in Gaza you can really look forward to except the sea," he said.

In mid-May, Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis treated two fishermen injured by Israeli naval gunfire near the southern Gaza beach, and days later a Gazan security source reported three fishermen wounded by fire off Gaza City. Al Jazeera reported the same incidents without additional attribution or casualty confirmation.