Five Gaza Fishermen Missing Since Nov. 4 — Family Fears They Were Detained at Sea

Mystery of Five Missing Gaza Fishermen Raises Detention Fears

Early on the morning of Nov. 4, fisherman Ahmad Rashad al‑Hissi and four relatives left Gaza’s shore to fish — a vital source of fresh food and income for many families in the enclave. They never returned. No boat, wreckage or bodies have been found, and the family says there has been no contact since they departed.

Relatives fear the men were intercepted at sea and are being held by Israeli forces. Local fishing-industry representatives say that if those fears are confirmed, the five would be among 16 Gazan fishermen detained since the Oct. 11 ceasefire, in addition to roughly 65 people reportedly shot dead while fishing since the conflict began.

“We have all been waiting to hear good news about him,” Umm Muhammad, Ahmad al‑Hissi’s wife, told reporters. “The family is living in constant anxiety about Ahmad’s fate and that of his brothers, as more than four weeks have passed since their arrest without any information about their detention.”

An Israel Defense Forces spokesman said security restrictions remain in place in the maritime area adjacent to the Gaza Strip following Hamas’s use of naval assets on Oct. 7. The IDF said the zone has been designated a combat area and that civilians were informed of the restrictions, adding that naval units detain Gazans only when vessels approach too close to Israeli warships. The military declined to provide specific information about the five missing men when names and the date of disappearance were submitted for comment.

Fishermen describe a dangerous cat‑and‑mouse dynamic at sea. Videos circulating online have allegedly shown Israeli forces opening fire on unarmed fishermen and boarding boats to make arrests. In a separate incident in June 2024, a senior U.N. official said he witnessed Israeli tanks kill two men who were standing in the water fishing with nets; that account has been reported by international outlets.

The al‑Hissi family has already lost family members to shooting at sea prior to the current war. Relatives say two sons were killed by Israeli fire while fishing, in 2017 and 2020. Family members and other fishermen describe tactics they use to avoid being targeted — traveling in groups, flying white flags and staying near the shore — but they say risks remain high and arrests have continued even when shootings have eased.

Beyond the human toll, Gaza’s fishing industry has been devastated. Tens of millions of dollars in equipment have been lost, Gaza City’s port was destroyed, and catches have fallen dramatically. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has said it has evidence of fishermen killed within metres of shore; before the war the sector produced more than 4,600 tonnes annually. By June, reported catches were roughly 7.3% of pre‑war levels.

On the legal front, Israeli authorities had detained around 6,000 people under an "unlawful combatants" law as of May, according to official figures cited in reporting; that framework allows extended detention without charge or trial. Investigations by Western and Israeli outlets earlier this year suggested that roughly one in four detainees were believed to be militants.

Diplomatic discussions involving the United States, Israel and regional partners are ongoing about Gaza’s future and reconstruction, but with Hamas still holding authority in much of the Strip, naval restrictions and the risks faced by fishermen are likely to continue. For the al‑Hissi family, the immediate need is simple: confirmation of whether their missing relatives are alive and where they are being held.

“He was very tired from the famine and worries of war. I am afraid that his condition will worsen in harsh prison conditions,” Umm Muhammad said.