Despite the dire situation in Gaza, a few surfers find joy riding the waves. Tahseen Abu Assi, a surfer in Gaza City, says only a few people still surf due to a shortage of boards and repair materials. He values surfing so much that he carried his board through every displacement he went through during the two-year war.
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Palestinian Tahseen Abu Assi rides a wave at a beach along the Mediterranean Sea in Gaza City, Monday, May 4, 2026. Palestinians Khalil Abu Jayyab, left, and Abed Rahim Alostaz enter the waters of the Mediterranean Sea to surf at the beach in Gaza City, Monday, May 4, 2026. A Palestinian jumps into the waters of the Mediterranean Sea as he surfs on the beach in Gaza City, Monday, May 4, 2026.
Palestinians Tahseen Abu Assi, left, Khalil Abu Jayyab, center, and Abed Rahim Alostaz warm up before surfing on the beach in Gaza City, Monday, May 4, 2026. Palestinians Tahseen Abu Assi, left, Khalil Abu Jayyab, center, and Abed Rahim Alostaz warm up before surfing on the beach in Gaza City, Monday, May 4, 2026.
Palestinian Khalil Abu Jayyab rides a wave at a beach along the Mediterranean Sea in Gaza City, Monday, May 4, 2026. Palestinian Khalil Abu Jayyab rides a wave at a beach along the Mediterranean Sea in Gaza City, Monday, May 4, 2026. Palestinian Tahseen Abu Assi rides a wave at a beach along the Mediterranean Sea in Gaza City, Monday, May 4, 2026.
Palestinian Tahseen Abu Assi rides a wave at a beach along the Mediterranean Sea in Gaza City, Monday, May 4, 2026. Palestinians Khalil Abu Jayyab, left, and Abed Rahim Alostaz enter the waters of the Mediterranean Sea to surf at the beach in Gaza City, Monday, May 4, 2026.
Palestinians Khalil Abu Jayyab, left, and Abed Rahim Alostaz enter the waters of the Mediterranean Sea to surf at the beach in Gaza City, Monday, May 4, 2026. A Palestinian jumps into the waters of the Mediterranean Sea as he surfs on the beach in Gaza City, Monday, May 4, 2026. A Palestinian jumps into the waters of the Mediterranean Sea as he surfs on the beach in Gaza City, Monday, May 4, 2026.
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.
“If something happened to it I won’t be able to get another one,” 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.
, with the United Nations reporting that some fishermen were attacked onshore or at sea, including incidents involving fishermen using paddle boats. Keeping track of the status of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for a ceasefire that would end Hamas’ rule in Gaza and rebuilding the territory after a devastating war. Last year, Israel declared Gaza’s waters a “no-go zone,” 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.
“There is fear of course, but we can’t 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. ” Gaza’s waves rarely rise high enough for surfing, so when they do, surfers drop everything to get in the water, he added. , killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking another 251 hostage.
Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has killed 72,628 Palestinians and injured 172,520 others, according to the latest figures by Gaza’s 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’s residents. But for the territory’s few surfers, there is relief, even if only fleeting, when they take to the waves.
“As soon as the sea gets high, you leave your work and leave your whole life,” Abu Assi said. “Work can be caught up on, as they say. We go practice this sport. ”
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