Life at Naqoura port: Fear and silence replace the ‘daily catch’

Report by Ghida Fayad, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian 

At Naqoura port, the scene is no longer what it once was. Fishermen’s boats sit in silence, no longer sailing as before, nor returning with their usual catch.

Israeli attacks continue to strike the town intermittently, and the Israeli army maintains a constant presence that spreads fear among the fishermen, whose daily routines have been disrupted. 

Trips have been reduced, schedules altered, and some have abandoned the sea entirely as the profession has become increasingly risky. Those who still venture out are confined to areas designated by Israeli forces.

Drones follow every boat, while flares are dropped near fishermen to intimidate them.

Even the town’s once-bustling local fish market has fallen silent. Israel bombed part of it, forcing its closure for an indefinite period.

For fishermen already struggling under difficult living conditions, their sole source of income has been under threat since the start of the war. The once-vibrant southern shore, once alive with activity and income-generating work, has become a scene of caution and fear.