During the morning of the 16th August 2025, one fisherman was reportedly killed and another was injured as a result of alleged Israeli naval gunfire off the coast of the Gaza strip.

Multiple sources reported that 51-year-old fisherman Hassan Ibrahim al-Habil was killed and another fisherman was injured by Israeli naval gunfire in the Gaza Sea. The second fisherman was not named throughout the sources. However, according to reports, he was injured while tending to Hassan’s body.

Zakaria Bakar, head of the general union of fishing workers, told the News Archive that Israeli speedboats had shot the fisherman Hassan directly in the head while he was with two other fishermen, one of whom was also injured trying to rescue him, “holding his hand before he fell into the sea.”

Zakaria Baker posted on Facebook at 9 a.m. that a search was taking place for Hassan’s body as it had fallen overboard as a result of the incident. It was later released that the body of Hassan al-Habil was found west of the Al-Baidar area.

The Palestinian News Agency – Sanad put out a statement by the head of Palestinian Fishermans Syndicate who stated that the two fishermen had been executed while working at sea during the alleged incident. However, there was no other mention of a second death, nor the search for a second body in the surrounding reporting. It is likely that this is a reference to the injured fisherman.

Abu Adham Al-Habil posted on Facebook a prayer to his brother, Hassan, writing, “A martyr of war and livelihood, a martyr of the sea, a martyr striving to provide for himself and his children.” He stressed that Hassan“ didn’t carry a weapon, just nets with which [he] fought hunger.”

Multiple sources reported that Israeli naval forces opened fire on the fishing boat while at sea off the Gaza strip. According to the News Archive, after the incident the gunboats fired towards the sea off the city of Khan Younis.