The surfers, among the few remaining practitioners of the sport in the Gaza Strip, gather on Gaza City’s coastline where the sounds of crashing waves contrast sharply with the devastation left by years of conflict.

“This sport is indescribable. When you catch a wave, ride it, glide along it, that feeling can’t be put into words,” said 23-year-old Taheen Abu Assi, who learned surfing from his father and grandfather.

Abu Assi said the conflict had not diminished his commitment to the sport, describing surfing as a rare source of relief amid uncertainty.

“We learned little by little, and even with the war, the shelling, and the destruction, we’re still continuing with this sport, because it lets us breathe and makes us feel safe,” he said.

Although a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October after two years of war, violence continues to affect daily life in the coastal enclave. Both sides have accused each other of repeated violations of the truce.

The dangers extend beyond land. In recent months, local medical officials and security sources have reported incidents involving fishermen injured by Israeli fire near Gaza’s coastline.

“The situation is still unstable,” Abu Assi said. “At any moment, shells or explosives could land near you.”

Despite the risks, the surfers paddle into the Mediterranean, temporarily escaping the pressures of life in a territory where large areas have been devastated by conflict and hundreds of thousands remain displaced.

The sport faces additional challenges due to shortages of specialized equipment caused by wartime disruptions and continuing restrictions on imports.

“One of the biggest challenges and difficulties we face as surfers in the Gaza Strip is the lack of tools and equipment specific to this sport,” said 19-year-old Abdel Rahim Al-Ustadh.

According to Al-Ustadh, surf wax is unavailable in Gaza, forcing surfers to improvise with candle wax to maintain grip on their boards.

Many rely on aging equipment that has survived years of use. Holding a worn surfboard estimated to be nearly 20 years old, Al-Ustadh said preserving existing boards was critical because replacing them was virtually impossible.

“As surfers, we treat these boards like great treasures to us, because losing any board or having it confiscated threatens our ability to continue in this sport,” he said.

The conflict has dramatically reduced Gaza’s surfing community. Khalil Abu Jiyab, 18, said a team of 17 surfers existed before the war, but only three remain active today due to equipment shortages and the loss of boards.

“I’ve been surfing for 13 years now, and my hopes have almost been shattered,” Abu Jiyab said, while expressing a desire to one day compete outside Gaza.

For many of Gaza’s remaining surfers, the sea continues to offer a rare sense of freedom in an environment shaped by conflict and uncertainty.

“There’s nothing in Gaza you can really look forward to except the sea,” Abu Jiyab said. “The only outlet in Gaza is the sea; without it, life would have vanished long ago.”

An overnight airstrike hit an apartment building in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, killing four members of the Al-Safadi family, including a husband, wife and their two daughters, Gaza’s civil defense agency said. The agency, which operates under Hamas authority, said the attack also wounded 12 other people.

Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City confirmed receiving the bodies of four members of the family, including two children.

Relatives said the victims were civilians with no involvement in militant activities. Nael Al-Safadi, a family member, said the strike occurred while the family was asleep inside the building.

Footage from the scene showed extensive damage to the apartment, with sections of the exterior wall destroyed and household belongings scattered among the rubble.

In a separate incident, Al-Shifa Hospital said it received the body of one person killed in an Israeli drone strike near an intersection in northern Gaza City.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on either incident.

The latest deaths come as Israel and Hamas continue to exchange accusations of violating the ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10 last year. Although large-scale fighting has subsided, sporadic strikes and security incidents have continued across the territory, complicating efforts to secure a permanent end to the conflict.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas authority, at least 1,012 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since the ceasefire began. The United Nations has generally regarded the ministry’s casualty figures as reliable, although independent verification remains difficult because of restrictions on media access and movement within Gaza.

The Israeli military has reported five fatalities among its forces during the same period.

The continuing violence highlights the fragility of the truce and the challenges facing diplomatic efforts aimed at transforming the ceasefire into a lasting political settlement.

The deadliest incident occurred in Gaza City, where a drone strike hit the Jawazat camp for displaced Palestinians, killing eight people and wounding 15 others, according to the civil defense authority, which operates under the Hamas administration.

Al-Shifa Hospital said it received the bodies of eight victims from the strike. The Israeli military confirmed it had carried out an operation in the area, stating that it had targeted militants but providing no further details.

In southern Gaza, a separate strike killed 25-year-old Muhannad Othman Farwana in Khan Younis, according to civil defense officials and medical personnel at Nasser Hospital, who said several wounded people were also brought to the facility.

The Israeli military identified Farwana as a commander of a Hamas military cell and said he was killed in a precision strike. Hamas did not immediately comment on the allegation.

Relatives said the strike hit a tent erected on the roof of Farwana’s family home shortly before his scheduled wedding ceremony. Family members had been preparing for the celebration when the attack occurred, according to his cousin, Mohammed Farwana.

Later on Saturday, civil defense officials reported another fatal strike in southeastern Gaza City that killed a 37-year-old man.

The latest violence comes despite a ceasefire that took effect in October 2025 following more than two years of war triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Although large-scale hostilities have diminished, both Israel and Hamas continue to accuse each other of almost daily violations of the truce agreement.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas and whose casualty figures are regularly cited by United Nations agencies, at least 951 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began. The Israeli military has reported five fatalities among its personnel during the same period.

Independent verification of casualty figures and battlefield claims remains difficult because of restrictions on media access and movement within Gaza. International news organizations, including AFP, have said they are unable to independently verify many reports from the territory.

The continued exchange of strikes and accusations has raised concerns about the durability of the ceasefire, even as international mediators seek to prevent a return to full-scale conflict in the enclave.

Despite continuing Israeli strikes, severe restrictions on maritime activity and widespread shortages of basic goods, several surfers in Gaza City have resumed riding waves whenever conditions allow, describing the sport as a rare psychological escape from the conflict’s destruction.Only a handful of surfers remain active in Gaza because surfboards are scarce and replacement equipment is nearly impossible to obtain, said Tahseen Abu Assi, who said he carried his board with him throughout repeated wartime displacements.

“If something happened to it I won’t be able to get another one,” Abu Assi said, adding that surfboards have not entered Gaza since 2007 due to Israeli restrictions on a range of goods entering the territory.On Tuesday, Abu Assi joined two other surfers near Gaza City’s port, including Khalil Abu Jiab, as high seasonal waves reached the shoreline.The Israeli military has heavily restricted access to Gaza’s coastal waters since the start of the war.

The United Nations has documented incidents involving fishermen and civilians coming under fire at sea or near the shore.Last year, Israel formally designated Gaza’s maritime zone a “no-go zone,” banning fishing, swimming and most civilian access to coastal waters. Israeli patrols continue to operate off Gaza’s coastline, making sea activity hazardous.

Fishing and swimming remain prohibited off northern and southern Gaza, while access near central Gaza also carries risks due to ongoing military patrols.“There is fear of course, but we can’t leave this sport,” Abu Assi said. “During the war, in the middle of the bombing and the planes above us, we used to go down and practice this sport.”

Surfing conditions in Gaza are inconsistent because the Mediterranean waves along the enclave’s coast are often too small for the sport. Surfers say they seize any opportunity when larger swells arrive.Intense fighting across Gaza eased after a ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10 last year, though intermittent Israeli strikes have continued and both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the truce.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and injured over 172,000 others since the war began. The conflict has severely damaged hospitals, housing and public infrastructure while deepening shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies.

For Gaza’s remaining surfers, the coastline offers one of the few remaining spaces for temporary release from daily hardship.“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. We go practice this sport.”

Medics said one Palestinian was killed and two others wounded in an Israeli airstrike near the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, while a separate Israeli tank shelling in the central part of the enclave killed another person and injured several more.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the reported strikes.Hostilities have persisted in Gaza despite the truce, with near-daily incidents reported by local authorities. Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of violating the ceasefire terms.At Al-Shifa Hospital, relatives gathered to mourn one of the victims, identified as Mohammed Al-Ghandour, according to hospital officials.

Witnesses described scenes of grief as family members assembled outside the morgue.Local medics say at least 830 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, while Israeli authorities report that militants have killed four Israeli soldiers over the same period.

Israel says its operations are aimed at preventing attacks by Hamas and other militant groups.More than 72,500 Palestinians have been killed since the Gaza war began in October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities, with civilians accounting for a majority of the casualties.

Since the ceasefire, Israeli forces have maintained control over more than half of the enclave, where large-scale destruction and displacement have left much of the population of over 2 million living in makeshift shelters or damaged buildings along the coast.

The agency said the strike targeted a group of civilians near Al-Qassam mosque in Beit Lahia, with the victims transported to Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Hospital officials confirmed receiving the bodies but did not provide additional details.

The Israeli military said it was reviewing the reports and did not immediately comment further.The incident comes amid ongoing tensions between Israel Defense Forces and Hamas, with both sides accusing each other of violating a ceasefire that took effect on October 10.

The truce largely halted the war that began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 786 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began. The ministry operates under Hamas authority, though its casualty figures are widely cited by international organizations including the United Nations.

The Israeli military has reported that five of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza during the same period.Independent verification of casualty figures remains difficult due to restrictions on media access to the territory and ongoing security conditions.

The incident occurred during routine water delivery at the Mansoura water filling point, a key facility supplying Gaza City, UNICEF said in a statement, adding that two other individuals were injured in the attack.The agency said it was “outraged” by the killings and stressed that humanitarian personnel, civilians and essential infrastructure must be protected under international humanitarian law.

It urged Israeli authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.Israel’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The development comes amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that has been in place since October, ending two years of full-scale conflict.

Despite the truce, Israeli forces remain deployed across a large depopulated zone covering more than half of the Gaza Strip, while Hamas continues to control the remaining coastal territory.Violence has persisted since the ceasefire, with local medics reporting more than 750 Palestinian deaths, while militants have killed four Israeli soldiers.

Both sides have accused each other of violating the terms of the truce.UNICEF said the suspension of activities at the water site could further affect access to clean water for civilians in Gaza, where humanitarian conditions remain severe.

According to CNN journalists in Gaza City, armed gangs have increasingly taken to the streets in search of dwindling food supplies, challenging Hamas’ authority. Hamas claims some of the alleged looters are collaborating with Israel.

“A warning has been issued — those who ignore it bear full responsibility,” Hamas said.

Despite being severely weakened after 18 months of war, the executions underscore Hamas’ continued grip over the territory.

With food stocks nearly exhausted, desperation is growing. On Wednesday night, thousands of Gazans stormed a UN facility and several warehouses in Gaza City, scavenging for flour and canned goods, eyewitnesses said.

On Saturday, the Hamas-run Ministry of Interior accused “a group of outlaws and collaborators with the occupation” of stoking unrest and targeting public and private property.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has rapidly deteriorated. Famine looms over the enclave’s 2.1 million people, following Israel’s decision on March 2 to seal off all aid, including food and medicine.

Dr. Ahmad Al-Farra, head of pediatrics at Nasser Medical Complex, warned that “a looming health catastrophe is threatening the lives of hundreds of thousands.”

He said the risk of widespread deaths from malnutrition is imminent if aid is not restored. On Saturday, two-month-old Janan Saleh Al-Sakkafi died from malnutrition at Al-Rantisi Hospital, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

The U.S. State Department said an announcement on new humanitarian access to Gaza could come “in the coming days,” ensuring that aid reaches Palestinians without falling into the hands of Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

“Safeguards are finally in place. Israel remains secure, Hamas empty-handed, and Gazans with access to critical aid,” a State Department spokesperson said, describing the plan as a product of “creative thinking.” Further details were not disclosed, but a private foundation is expected to oversee the mechanism.

Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007 and has previously carried out dozens of executions, including of individuals accused of collaborating with Israel.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military continues its offensive. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Sunday that “tens of thousands” of reservist call-up orders would be issued this week to intensify operations in the enclave.