Gaza Lifeguards Struggle to Protect Swimmers Amid Severe Equipment Shortages

Lifeguards monitoring the shoreline in Gaza City are struggling to maintain beach safety with minimal equipment following the widespread destruction of infrastructure during the ongoing war. Lacking watchtowers, rescue boats, loudspeakers, and sufficient flotation devices, safety personnel rely primarily on hand signals, shouting, and a limited supply of whistles.

According to Ibrahim Shamlakh, head of the Gaza Municipality’s marine rescue department, around 120 lifeguards are currently employed along the municipality’s coast, down from roughly 140 before the war. The workers operate in two main shifts covering the coastline from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., though some guards voluntarily arrive at 6:00 a.m. to monitor early morning swimmers.

Before the conflict, the coastline was equipped with 3.3-meter-high watchtowers placed roughly every 200 meters. These towers were outfitted with loudspeakers, communications equipment, and rescue gear. With those structures and offshore rescue boats destroyed, lifeguards now work from ground-level tents that offer very restricted visibility across crowded waters.

The loss of gear has been exacerbated by rising costs caused by import restrictions. Shamlakh reported that the price of a single whistle rose from 25 shekels (about $8) before the war to 100 shekels (about $34). The municipality acquired roughly 50 whistles this season, forcing guards to share them across shifts.

Rescue buoys are similarly scarce. Lifeguards report having to swim out to rescue multiple drowning individuals simultaneously without individual flotation devices for each person. Despite these conditions, Shamlakh stated that marine rescue teams handle between 20 and 50 emergencies on an average day. Two drownings have been recorded this season, both occurring in unpatrolled areas.

Financial strain remains high among the staff, many of whom are former fishermen unable to work at sea due to restrictions. Lifeguard Bilal Bakar, 33, stated that workers receive approximately 25 shekels per six-hour shift, though payments are inconsistent. He noted that the team once went unpaid for 75 consecutive days. “People can barely hear us,” Bakar said, describing the difficulty of alerting swimmers who venture beyond safety flags.

The work is also deeply personal for guards facing immense grief. Lifeguard Ahmed Abu Haseira, 33, lost his wife, three children, and father in an Israeli attack that destroyed his house in August 2024. Abu Haseira continues working on the beach, using shared equipment to monitor swimmers.

Background

Due to intense heat and cramped living conditions in temporary tent camps across the Gaza Strip, thousands of displaced residents visit the Mediterranean coastline for relief. The destruction of municipal services and prolonged economic blockade have crippled public safety infrastructure, leaving municipal workers without basic equipment or reliable salaries.