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.”

A series of recent shark attacks along Australia’s coastline has heightened public concern and renewed scientific scrutiny of a long-term rise in shark bite incidents, even as researchers caution that no single factor can fully explain the trend.

The latest incident occurred off Sydney when 34-year-old Leah Stewart suffered severe injuries from a suspected great white shark attack while swimming at a patrolled beach. Stewart was in clear water, between safety flags and during daylight hours, circumstances generally regarded by experts as reducing the likelihood of a shark encounter. She remains in critical condition after undergoing the amputation of one arm.

The attack has intensified anxiety among swimmers, surfers and beachgoers in Australia’s largest city. Sydney’s beaches have experienced several shark-related incidents in recent months, prompting some regular ocean users to reconsider entering the water.

Among them is Rob Harcourt, an emeritus professor at Macquarie University and head of its marine predator research group. A long-time surfer and swimmer, Harcourt says the recent incidents have had a noticeable psychological impact on coastal communities.

According to Harcourt, many experienced surfers have become reluctant to enter the water following the attacks. He describes a sense of unease that extends beyond those directly affected, reflecting broader fears about changing conditions in Australia’s coastal waters.

Australia ranks second globally behind the United States in the number of shark bites involving humans. However, while global trends have remained relatively stable, Australian data indicate a sustained increase in incidents over recent decades.

Researchers point out that Australia’s major population centers overlap with the habitats of three shark species most commonly associated with serious attacks: the great white shark, tiger shark and bull shark.

Data compiled through the Australian Shark Incident File show that during the 1950s, the country recorded an average of approximately 3.1 unprovoked shark incidents each year. These incidents include bites and attempted bites but exclude encounters involving provocation or activities such as spearfishing.

The number of incidents increased gradually over subsequent decades before accelerating in the early 2000s. During that period, annual incidents averaged around 12. In the current decade, the figure has risen to approximately 21 incidents per year.

Fatalities have also increased. Records indicate that shark-related deaths averaged about 1.7 annually during the 1950s. That figure has risen to approximately 3.8 deaths per year so far during the 2020s.

Experts note that improvements in emergency response capabilities may have prevented an even larger increase in fatalities. Faster medical intervention, enhanced rescue services and the widespread availability of tourniquet kits at surf lifesaving clubs have improved survival prospects for victims suffering traumatic injuries.

Interpreting the rise in incidents remains challenging. Population growth alone does not provide a complete explanation because available statistics do not account for how many people enter the water, how frequently they do so or whether they participate in activities that increase exposure to shark habitats.

Researchers have examined numerous possible contributing factors. A review of shark bite studies identified approximately 40 variables that have been proposed as influencing risk. These range from the growing popularity of surfing and other board sports to environmental factors such as proximity to river mouths and coastal ecosystem changes.

Despite these theories, scientists acknowledge that many proposed explanations remain insufficiently studied. Comprehensive research examining the relative importance of individual factors remains limited.

One area attracting increasing attention is the effect of ocean warming. Scientists say rising sea temperatures are altering marine ecosystems and influencing the distribution and behavior of numerous species, including sharks.

Warmer waters may encourage some shark species to spend longer periods in coastal areas where human populations are concentrated. This could increase the likelihood of encounters between sharks and people without necessarily indicating a substantial increase in shark numbers.

At the same time, monitoring programs have not detected clear evidence of dramatic population growth among the species most often associated with serious attacks. Data collected through shark net programs suggest that changes in shark abundance alone may not account for the rising number of incidents.

Researchers emphasize that shark behavior, prey availability, environmental conditions and human activity patterns likely interact in complex ways. These factors can vary significantly across regions and seasons, making it difficult to identify a single national explanation.

The challenge for scientists is compounded by the rarity of shark bites relative to the millions of recreational visits made to Australian beaches each year. Because serious incidents remain uncommon, establishing statistically robust conclusions can be difficult.

For coastal communities, however, recent attacks have reinforced concerns about safety in the ocean. While experts continue to investigate the drivers behind the increase, they stress that the overall risk of a shark attack remains low despite the upward trend in incidents.

Researchers argue that understanding how climate change, marine ecosystems and human behavior intersect will be critical to improving risk assessments and informing public safety measures. Until clearer answers emerge, Australia’s growing number of shark encounters is likely to remain a subject of public debate and scientific investigation.

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.”