ALBAWABA - On Friday morning, people who lived and fished in southern Gaza were shocked when a group of local fishermen caught a huge whale shark off the coast of Khan Younis. The shark was almost 10 meters long and weighed about 2 tons.
The rare catch brought a lot of people, including displaced families, to the beach, where many came to see the amazing sight. People in Gaza said that the moment was a brief but welcome break from the ongoing problems there.
A gentle giant that is in danger of going extinct
The whale shark, which is the biggest fish in the world, can grow to be 13 meters long and weigh more than 21 tons. It is not dangerous to people because it only eats plankton and small marine organisms by filtering water through its mouth.
The IUCN Red List says that whale sharks are endangered. Marine experts say that they usually live in deep water, far from shore. They say that its rare appearance near Gaza's coast could be due to changing sea temperatures or feeding patterns.
Local fishermen, who depend on the Mediterranean for most of their income, were proud of the unusual catch. They said it showed how diverse the wildlife is in Gaza's waters, even though the environment has been damaged and the blockade has made things harder for years. Fishermen also asked for more protection for rare marine species and more work to protect the region's fragile coastal ecosystem.
Debate Over Effects on the Environment
Environmental groups in Israel and other countries spoke out about the incident, saying that catching endangered marine life makes it harder to protect them. In response, Palestinian fishermen said that when they are under siege, they often have no choice but to fish to survive because they are poor and have little food.
Dr. Adi Barash, head of Israel's Shark Conservation Association, said that the species was a whale shark but downplayed the ecological impact of catching just one.
He said, "It's sad, but one shark doesn't change much in the environment." "Still, it reminds me of how fragile marine life is in this area."
Israeli attacks keep happening even though there is a ceasefire.
Gaza's Civil Defense Authority says that while people in Gaza City celebrated the rare event, Israeli artillery fire hit a civilian car in the Zeitoun district, killing and injuring several people. The strikes happened even though there was an active ceasefire, making rescue efforts harder and making the humanitarian crisis worse.
Thousands are still stuck under rubble, and aid groups say that the lack of fuel, medical supplies, and access to humanitarian aid has made the situation in Gaza a daily disaster. Bombings are making rescue efforts much harder.
The rare marine discovery in the morning made people feel better for a short time, but then the harsh reality of life under siege set in again.
