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Gaza’s Seafront: The City’s Lung and Vital Breathing Space Turned to Ruin by the Israeli Occupation

The Gaza City seafront serves as the primary recreational outlet for residents. It is where citizens gather during the summer season for leisure, relaxation, and enjoyment. Since 2020, Gaza Municipality has worked diligently to develop the seafront to meet the needs of beachgoers and visitors, as part of an ambitious plan for coastal enhancement.

The Municipality established permanent and seasonal rest areas, pedestrian walkways, gardens along the corniche and beach, as well as cafés, a seaside promenade, and other essential public facilities. However, the Israeli occupation has transformed this vibrant area into rubble and ruin a place of devastation and death—through relentless warfare and systematic destruction.

The extensive damage inflicted by the occupation on the seafront and its facilities includes the destruction of vital public infrastructure such as sales points, the municipal marine club, large and small rest areas, the sea rescue station, the seafront administration office, public gardens, and seasonal shelters.

Additional damage affected the accessible rest area for persons with disabilities, beach sports courts, and parking areas. The Israeli occupation also caused the complete destruction of the seafront corniche and Al-Rasheed Street one of Gaza’s most prominent and vital roads along with lifeguard towers and other essential service structures.

These acts have led to severe consequences: environmental harm through marine pollution and damage to fish stocks; economic losses, including the disappearance of approximately 2,200 job opportunities and the collapse of coastal tourism; and significant psychological distress among residents who have been denied access to the sea and subjected to repeated targeting.

Gaza Municipality urgently calls on international environmental and humanitarian organizations to pressure the Israeli occupation to cease its attacks on civilian infrastructure and to support the Municipality in rebuilding and restoring the Gaza seafront.

For more information on the damages to the seafront, please refer to the attached report.