Conflict

Israel and Gaza (from 2023)

Incident Code

ISPT090525f

Location

Gaza City sea area, Al-Shati Camp, Gaza, Palestinian territories
بحر غزة, مخيم الشاطئ

Geolocation

31.539441, 34.443574
Accuracy: Neighbourhood/area

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: February 18, 2026

On the morning of Friday, May 9, 2025, fisherman Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad, aged 26, was reportedly killed and his brother Muhammad Ali Othman Muqdad, also a fisherman and aged 32, was seriously injured after Israeli naval forces allegedly fired shells and live rounds at their fishing boat off the coast of the northern Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.

Reports from The Box News, Street Pulse, and Al Hadath Palestine state that the brothers were out at sea on a small fishing vessel when three shells struck their boat. According to Akhbarkom, the attack occurred around 6:30 a.m. as the brothers had just begun hauling in their nets. It is reported that naval vessels of the Israeli military, stationed offshore, fired three shells at their boat.

Ahmed reportedly died immediately, with shrapnel tearing through his body. Multiple sources—including Osama Abu Foul and Palestine Online—noted that his remains were scattered in the water, and his body was initially unrecovered. His brother Muhammad sustained severe injuries from shrapnel to the chest, abdomen, and pelvis and was transferred to the intensive care unit at al-Shifa Medical Complex. As of the time of reporting, he remained in critical condition, dependent on life support.

Their brother, Ayoub Muqdad, speaking to Palestine Online, described the trauma of searching for his brother’s remains: “One of the shells hit him directly and tore his body apart.” He added that they were coordinating with local fishermen to recover what they could in order to provide a dignified burial.

Ahmed Muqdad was a father of two young children: a toddler named Ali and an infant daughter, Karaz, who was not yet three months old. According to Akhbarkom, the family’s home had previously been destroyed in the war, and they had been living in tents nearby. The fishing boat, which supported multiple family members, was completely destroyed in the strike.

Where possible, the names of the victims have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Since October 26, 2023, the MoH has released a number of lists, along with an additional list of medical professionals, which was released on September 17, 2024. Airwars is matching individuals to the first list where their name appeared. In regard to this incident, the name of Ahmed was matched to the tenth “Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza”, which was released on July 16, 2025.

All sources that identified a belligerent attributed the strike to Israeli forces.

Assessment Updates

2 September 2025
Geolocation added. Incident had not been geolocated when originally published.

Victims

Family members (2)

Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad أحمد على عثمان مقداد
26 years old male killed Matched to MoH ID 404595563
Muhammad Ali Othman Muqdad محمد علي عثمان مقداد
32 years old male brother of Ahmed injured

Key Information

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the Gaza City sea area (بحر غزة) to the west of Al-Shati Camp (مخيم الشاطئ). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to find boundaries for the area and to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for this area are: 31.539441, 34.443574.

Military Statements

Israeli Military Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Israeli Military
Israeli Military position on incident
Not yet assessed

Sources (14)

safa.ps
8 May 2025

Arabic

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Source ID

146592

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

8 May 2025

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

12:48 (Updated) Safa follow-up | Fisherman Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad was killed and his brother Muhammad was seriously injured as a result of the occupation forces opening fire on them in the sea of the northern beach camp in Gaza.

Content

12:48 (مُحدّث) متابعة صفا| استشهاد الصياد أحمد علي عثمان مقداد وإصابة شقيقه محمد بجراح خطرة جرّاء إطلاق قوات الاحتلال النار عليهما في بحر مخيّم الشاطئ الشمالي بغزة
The Box News
9 May 2025

Arabic

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Source ID

154780

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

9 May 2025

Source Author

جريدة البوكس نيوز

Source Author Translated

The Box News

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

Fisherman Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad was martyred and his brother, fisherman Mohammed Ali Othman Muqdad, was seriously injured in the sea of the northern beach camp.

Content

استشهاد الصياد أحمد علي عثمان مقداد وإصابة شقيقه الصياد محمد علي عثمان مقداد بجروح خطيرة في بحر مخيم الشاطئ الشمالي.
Street pulse
9 May 2025

Arabic

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Source ID

154783

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

9 May 2025

Source Author

نبض الشارع

Source Author Translated

Street pulse

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

Fisherman Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad was killed and his brother Mohammed was injured by a naval shell while fishing off the coast of Gaza City.

Content

ارتقاء الصياد "احمد علي عثمان مقداد"، وإصابة شقيقه "محمد"، في عرض البحر غرب مدينة غزة، اثناء مهنة الصيد بقذيفة بحرية..
Zakaria Baker
9 May 2025

Arabic

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Source ID

154794

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

9 May 2025

Source Author

Zakaria Baker

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

#Follow-up.. Fisherman Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad was martyred and his brother, fisherman Muhammad Ali Othman Muqdad, was seriously injured by Israeli naval fire and shells this morning off the northern beach (Al-Lablakhiya).

Content

#متابعة..استشهاد الصياد احمد علي عثمان مقداد وإصابة شقيقه الصياد محمد علي عثمان مقداد بجروح خطيرة بنيران وقذائف بحرية الاحتلال صباح اليوم مقابل شاطئ الشمالي ( اللبلاخية )
Al Hadath Palestine
9 May 2025

Arabic

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Source ID

154797

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

9 May 2025

Source Author

Al Hadath Palestine الحدث الفلسطيني

Source Author Translated

Al Hadath Palestine

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

Fisherman Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad was killed and his brother, fisherman Mohammed, was seriously injured as a result of the occupation forces opening fire on them in the sea of the northern beach camp.

Content

ارتقاء الصياد أحمد علي عثمان مقداد وإصابة شقيقه الصياد محمد بجروح خطيرة جراء إطلاق الاحتلال النار عليهم في بحر مخيم الشاطئ الشمالي

Media from Al Hadath Palestine (1)

Hani Alshaer
9 May 2025

Arabic

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Source ID

154800

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

9 May 2025

Source Author

Hani Alshaer

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

#Urgent | Fisherman Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad dies and his brother, fisherman Mohammed Ali Othman Muqdad, is seriously injured in the sea of the Northern Beach Camp.

Content

#عاجل | ارتقاء الصياد أحمد علي عثمان مقداد وإصابة شقيقه الصياد محمد علي عثمان مقداد بجروح خطيرة في بحر مخيم الشاطئ الشمالي.
Journalist Saher Al-Aqraa
9 May 2025

Arabic

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Source ID

154808

Archive URL

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Date

9 May 2025

Source Author

الصحفي ساهر الأقرع

Source Author Translated

Journalist Saher Al-Aqraa

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

Fisherman Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad was killed and his brother Mohammed was injured by an Israeli naval shell while fishing at sea west of Gaza City.

Content

ارتقاء الصياد "احمد علي عثمان مقداد"، وإصابة شقيقه "محمد"، في عرض البحر غرب مدينة غزة، اثناء مهنة الصيد بقذيفة بحرية الجيش الاسرائيلي.

Media from Journalist Saher Al-Aqraa (1)

Abu Nafi' al-Balbali
9 May 2025

Arabic

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Source ID

154809

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

9 May 2025

Source Author

أبو نافع البلبالي

Source Author Translated

Abu Nafi' al-Balbali

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

Fisherman Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad was killed and his brother Mohammed was seriously injured when the occupation forces opened fire on them in the sea of the northern beach camp in Gaza.

Content

استشهاد الصياد أحمد علي عثمان مقداد وإصابة شقيقه محمد بجراح خطرة جرّاء إطلاق قوات الاحتلال النار عليهما في بحر مخيّم الشاطئ الشمالي بغزة
watch
19 May 2025

Arabic

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Source ID

154817

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

19 May 2025

Source Author

watch

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

The moment the occupation forces targeted fishing boats in the Gaza Strip, killing fisherman Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad and wounding another by Israeli fire northwest of Gaza City.

Content

لحظة استهداف الاحتلال مراكب الصيادين في بحر مدينة غزة، مما أسفر عن استشهاد الصياد أحمد علي عثمان مقداد، وإصابة آخر بنيران الاحتلال شمال غرب مدينة غزة.

Media from watch (1)

Osama Abu Foul
9 May 2025

Arabic

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Source ID

154821

Archive URL

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Date

9 May 2025

Source Author

أسامة أبو فول

Source Author Translated

Osama Abu Foul

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

Urgent: Fisherman Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad was martyred. His body is still in the water at sea and no one has been able to retrieve him. His brother, fisherman Muhammad Ali Othman Muqdad, was seriously injured by the fire and shells of the occupation navy this morning off the northern coast of Gaza (Al-Lablakhiya).

Content

عاجل استشهاد الصياد احمد علي عثمان مقداد ومازالت جثته بقلب الماء بعرض البحر ولم يقدر أحد علي انتشاله وإصابة شقيقه الصياد محمد علي عثمان مقداد بجروح خطيرة بنيران وقذائف بحرية الاحتلال صباح اليوم مقابل بحر غزة الشاطئ الشمالي ( اللبلاخية )

Media from Osama Abu Foul (1)

Snd_pal
9 May 2025

Arabic

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Source ID

154827

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

9 May 2025

Source Author

Snd_pal

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

Urgent | Fisherman Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad was killed and his brother, fisherman Mohammed, was seriously injured as a result of Israeli occupation forces opening fire on them in the sea of the northern beach camp.

Content

عاجل| استشهاد الصياد أحمد علي عثمان مقداد وإصابة شقيقه الصياد محمد بجروح خطيرة جراء إطلاق الاحتلال النار عليهم في بحر مخيم الشاطئ الشمالي.
News
13 May 2025

Arabic

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Source ID

154778

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

13 May 2025

Source Author

Akhbarkom

Source Author Translated

News

Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

In Gaza, death makes no distinction between sleeping in a tent, fleeing to school, or sailing in search of a livelihood. There, waves turn into coffins, schools become mass graves, and homes become ruins covered in children's blood. On a desperate Friday morning, young fisherman Ahmed Miqdad bid farewell to his children to search for their livelihood at sea. His body was returned in pieces by three Israeli shells that tore his boat apart and his dream apart. On a quiet Friday morning, the ninth of this month, at 6:30 a.m., brothers Ahmed and Mohammed Miqdad set out on their small boat from the beach of Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, to provide for their children. The brothers carried nothing but old nets and the hope of catching a catch to feed their family. But the sea, always a haven, suddenly turned into a bloody trap. No sooner had the two brothers begun to gather their nets than the sound of explosions pierced the calm: three shells fired by Israeli occupation boats stationed offshore towards their boat. As a result, the young fisherman, Ahmed Ali Othman Muqdad (27 years old), died, while his brother, Mohammed (32 years old), was seriously injured. A Torn Body Their brother, Ayoub Muqdad, stands on the shore with lost eyes, scanning the horizon, hoping the waves will bring him back the body of his drowned brother. “We are still searching for him,” he says. “One of the shells hit him directly and tore his body apart.” He adds with deep sadness, his heart sinking just as Ahmed drowned, without a farewell, without a grave, without a shroud other than the salty sea and the pain it enveloped him. Ayoub is trying to coordinate with a number of fishermen to search for his brother’s remains, hoping they can bury him as befits any human being, so that the waves are not the only witness to the farewell.

Content

في غزة، لا يفرّق الموت بين من ينام في خيمة، أو يهرب إلى مدرسة، أو يبحر بحثًا عن لقمة عيش. هناك، تتحوّل الأمواج إلى نعوش، وتصبح المدارس مقابر جماعية، وتغدو البيوت أطلالًا تغطيها دماء الأطفال. في صباحٍ يائس من يوم الجمعة الماضي، ودّع الصياد الشاب أحمد مقداد أطفاله ليبحث عن رزقهم في البحر، فعاد جسده أشلاءً على وقع ثلاث قذائف إسرائيلية مزّقت المركب والحلم. في صباحٍ هادئ من يوم الجمعة، التاسع من الشهر الجاري، وبينما كانت الساعة تشير إلى السادسة والنصف صباحًا، انطلق الشقيقان أحمد ومحمد مقداد بمركبهما الصغير من شاطئ مخيم الشاطئ غرب مدينة غزة، لتوفير قوت أطفالهما. لم يكن الشقيقان يحملان سوى شباك قديمة وأمل في صيد يسد رمق العائلة، لكن البحر، الذي كان دومًا ملاذًا، تحوّل فجأة إلى فخ دموي. ما إن بدأ الشقيقان بجمع شباكهما، حتى اخترق صوتُ الانفجارات الهدوء، ثلاث قذائف أطلقتها زوارق الاحتلال الإسرائيلي المتمركزة في عرض البحر باتجاه المركب، ليرتقي على إثرها الصياد الشاب أحمد علي عثمان مقداد (27 عامًا)، فيما أُصيب شقيقه محمد (32 عامًا) بجراحٍ بالغة. جسدٌ ممزق يقف أيوب مقداد، شقيقهما، على الشاطئ بعينين تائهتين، يتفقد الأفق لعلّ الأمواج تعيد له جسد شقيقه الغارق. ويقول “ما زلنا نبحث عنه، فإحدى القذائف أصابته مباشرة ومزّقت جسده”. ويضيف بحزنٍ شديد وقلبه يغرق كما غرق “أحمد”، دون وداع، دون قبر، دون كفن سوى ما لفّه البحر من ملوحة وألم. يحاول “أيوب” التنسيق مع عدد من الصيادين للبحث عن أشلاء أخيه، علّهم يتمكنون من دفنه كما يليق بأي إنسان، حتى لا تبقى الأمواج الشاهدة الوحيدة على الوداع.
akhbaralyoom.com

Arabic

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Source ID

154825

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Languages

Arabic

Translated Content

Today's News - On a quiet Friday morning, the ninth of this month, at 6:30 a.m., brothers Ahmed and Mohammed Miqdad set off in their small boat from the beach of Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, to provide for their children. The brothers carried nothing but old nets and the hope of catching a fish to feed their family. But the sea, always a haven, suddenly turned into a bloody trap. As soon as the brothers began collecting their nets, the sound of explosions broke the calm: three shells fired by Israeli occupation boats stationed offshore toward their boat. As a result, the young fisherman, Ahmed Ali Othman Miqdad (27 years old), died, while his brother, Mohammed (32 years old), was seriously injured. A Torn Body Their brother, Ayoub Miqdad, stands on the beach with lost eyes, scanning the horizon, hoping the waves will bring him back the body of his drowned brother. He tells Filastin newspaper: "We are still looking for him. One of the shells hit him directly and tore his body apart." He adds with deep sadness, his heart sinking just as Ahmed drowned, without a farewell, without a grave, without a shroud other than the salty sea and the pain it enveloped. Ayoub is trying to coordinate with a number of fishermen to search for his brother's remains, hoping they can bury him as befits any human being, so that the waves won't remain the only witness to the farewell. Martyr Ahmed was the father of two children: Ali, two and a half years old, and Karaz, the infant who had not yet completed her third month, according to his brother, who said, "Ahmed passed away, leaving behind a bereaved wife and children without a father, without a place to visit, without any tangible memory other than a faded image." His brother, Mohammed, is fighting for his life inside the intensive care unit at Al-Shifa Medical Complex, the hospital that was severely damaged during the war and partially restored despite a severe shortage of equipment and staff. Muqdad notes that his brother was injured by shrapnel in his chest, abdomen, and pelvic area, adding, "Any hope of his survival rests on life support and the prayers of his family." A pile of stones. Muqdad walks sadly, standing on the rubble of his destroyed home. “We live in a tent now after our house in Al-Shati refugee camp was destroyed when the war began,” he says, pointing to a pile of stones that was once home to five families. “After temporary displacement, we returned to find our four-story house a pile of rubble. We set up tents next to it, awaiting reconstruction.” His voice filled with sadness, he continues, “Our house was destroyed, my brother was martyred without a body, and the fate of the other is unknown. The boat that was destroyed in the bombing supported four families. We used to catch a little to eat and sell the rest to buy necessities for the children. Now, there is nothing.” Since the outbreak of the brutal war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the Strip has been living under a stifling naval blockade imposed by the Israeli occupation forces, preventing thousands of fishermen from entering the sea. According to local data, about 150 fishermen have been killed since the beginning of the war, 50 of them while trying to fish to provide for their families. Most boats have been destroyed, even the small ones, which the fishermen had built with their own effort and sweat. The number of licensed fishermen in Gaza is about 4,500, in addition to 1,500 people working in fishing-related professions, such as selling fish, maintaining boats, and making ice to preserve catches. The martyr Ahmed Miqdad is not just a number on the list of martyrs, but a face of the daily suffering in Gaza. The sea was a source of life for his family, but today it has become an open grave. Every wave tells a story, and every net is the wreckage of a dream. Source: Palestine Online

Content

أخبار اليوم - في صباحٍ هادئ من يوم الجمعة، التاسع من الشهر الجاري، وبينما كانت الساعة تشير إلى السادسة والنصف صباحًا، انطلق الشقيقان أحمد ومحمد مقداد بمركبهما الصغير من شاطئ مخيم الشاطئ غرب مدينة غزة، لتوفير قوت أطفالهما. لم يكن الشقيقان يحملان سوى شباك قديمة وأمل في صيد يسد رمق العائلة، لكن البحر، الذي كان دومًا ملاذًا، تحوّل فجأة إلى فخ دموي. ما إن بدأ الشقيقان بجمع شباكهما، حتى اخترق صوتُ الانفجارات الهدوء، ثلاث قذائف أطلقتها زوارق الاحتلال الإسرائيلي المتمركزة في عرض البحر باتجاه المركب، ليرتقي على إثرها الصياد الشاب أحمد علي عثمان مقداد (27 عامًا)، فيما أُصيب شقيقه محمد (32 عامًا) بجراحٍ بالغة. جسدٌ ممزق يقف أيوب مقداد، شقيقهما، على الشاطئ بعينين تائهتين، يتفقد الأفق لعلّ الأمواج تعيد له جسد شقيقه الغارق. يقول لصحيفة "فلسطين": "ما زلنا نبحث عنه، فإحدى القذائف أصابته مباشرة ومزّقت جسده". ويضيف بحزنٍ شديد وقلبه يغرق كما غرق "أحمد"، دون وداع، دون قبر، دون كفن سوى ما لفّه البحر من ملوحة وألم. يحاول "أيوب" التنسيق مع عدد من الصيادين للبحث عن أشلاء أخيه، علّهم يتمكنون من دفنه كما يليق بأي إنسان، حتى لا تبقى الأمواج الشاهدة الوحيدة على الوداع. الشهيد أحمد كان أبًا لطفلين: علي، عامان ونصف، وكرز، الرضيعة التي لم تُكمل شهرها الثالث، بحسب شقيقه، الذي قال: "رحل أحمد، وترك خلفه زوجة ثكلى، وأطفالًا بلا أب، بلا مزار، بلا ذاكرة ملموسة سوى صورة باهتة". أما شقيقه محمد، فيصارع الموت داخل غرفة العناية المكثفة في مجمع الشفاء الطبي، المستشفى الذي تضرر بشدة خلال الحرب، وأُعيد ترميم جزء منه رغم النقص الحاد في المعدات والكوادر. يشير مقداد إلى أن شقيقه أصيب بشظايا في صدره وبطنه ومنطقة الحوض، مضيفًا: "أي أمل في نجاته معلّق بأجهزة الحياة ودعاء الأهل". كومة حجارة يمضي مقداد بحزن، واقفًا على أنقاض منزله المدمر: "نعيش في خيمة الآن بعدما دُمر بيتنا في مخيم الشاطئ مع بدء الحرب". ويردف وهو يشير إلى كومة حجارة كانت ذات يوم بيتًا لخمسة عائلات: "بعد تهجير مؤقت، عدنا لنجد البيت، المكوّن من أربعة طوابق، كومة من الركام، فنصبنا خيامًا بجواره، في انتظار إعادة الإعمار". ويتابع بصوتٍ يملؤه الحزن: "دُمّر منزلنا، واستُشهد شقيقي بلا جثمان، والآخر مجهول المصير، والقارب الذي دُمّر في القصف كان يُعيل أربع أسر. كنا نصطاد القليل لنأكله، ونبيع الباقي لنشتري ما يلزم الأطفال، أما الآن، فلا شيء". منذ اندلاع الحرب الضروس على قطاع غزة في السابع من أكتوبر 2023، يعيش القطاع تحت حصار بحري خانق فرضه جيش الاحتلال، ما حرم آلاف الصيادين من دخول البحر. ووفقًا لبيانات محلية، استُشهد نحو 150 صيادًا منذ بداية الحرب، 50 منهم أثناء محاولتهم الصيد لتأمين الطعام لعائلاتهم، كما دُمّرت معظم القوارب، حتى الصغيرة منها التي صنعها الصيادون بجهدهم وعرقهم. ويبلغ عدد الصيادين المرخّصين في غزة حوالي 4500، إضافة إلى 1500 شخص يعملون في مهن مرتبطة بالصيد، مثل بيع الأسماك، وصيانة القوارب، وتصنيع الثلج لحفظ الصيد. الشهيد أحمد مقداد ليس مجرد رقم في قائمة الشهداء، بل وجه من وجوه المعاناة اليومية في غزة. كان البحر مصدر حياة لعائلته، فأصبح اليوم مقبرة مفتوحة. في كل موجة حكاية، وفي كل شبكة حطام حلم. المصدر / فلسطين أون لاين

Media from Sources (7)