Squeezing lemon over chargrilled fish is one of the few pleasures in Gaza, the coastal Palestinian enclave, where even fishing is under constant threat.
At a seafront restaurant, we were dipping flatbread into a spicy-red prawn sauce. All that was left of the white fish were the bones and some flecks of cumin and pepper.
“On days when fish is cheap, everyone eats fish,” said Mohammed Abu Hassira, who emerged from the kitchen to chat about how he had cooked the dish.
The 26-year-old’s family is dedicated to the trade; his father is a fisherman, while his grandfather sells the catch in Gaza.
The vast majority of fishermen in Gaza, 90 per cent according to the World Bank, live below the poverty line.
But with an unemployment rate of 48 per cent, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, there are few alternatives.
While going out to eat fish can be an unaffordable luxury, many Gazans gather at the seafront restaurants for drinks or to smoke shisha.
Sitting a few metres from our table, under wooden awnings hanging over the rocks, a group of women sat on black plastic chairs, playing cards.
Close to them, three others took a selfie with the white-tipped waves in the background.
Metres from the shore, a wooden boat adorned with two Palestinian flags sped past with its passengers delighting in their race across the water.
The nearby port is filled with fishing boats, bobbing in the water, in various stages of disrepair.
The import of materials to Gaza has been severely restricted under an Israel-led blockade imposed since 2007.
As a result, water often needs to be baled out of leaky boats and fishermen say they have to repurpose engines from trucks.
Furthermore, the Israeli military controls the waters and often curbs fishing in response to cross-border violence.
While fishing is currently permitted up to 15 nautical miles from the shore, during the May war it was banned entirely.
“We started to breathe again,” said fisherman Mahdi Abu Ryala, 47, days after a ceasefire ended the conflict. "We used to come to the port and leave the port afraid that we wouldn’t go back to the sea."
We started to breathe again. We were afraid we wouldn’t go back to the sea.
Gaza fisherman Mahdi Abu Ryala
While only around 5,500 workers rely on the industry, the Gazan fishermen’s committee says, they support thousands of family members among the population of two million.
“People who live near the sea depend on the fish,” said Mr Abu Hassira, adding that he enjoys explaining the different dishes to customers.
Out at sea, his father and fellow fishermen risk encountering the Israeli navy. About 700 Gazans have been detained since 2006, the fishermen’s committee says, while boats have been confiscated numerous times.
For Gazans who remain on the shore, the sea offers a welcome respite from city streets dotted with the ruins of bombed buildings.
More than three months on from the latest war, tonnes of rubble have been removed to reveal empty spaces littered with twisted rebar.
Some people escape the heat of Gaza city by going swimming, despite the health risks from sewage being regularly disposed into the water.
Many more stay on the sand, sitting under colourful umbrellas or walking along the beach.
While fishermen cast their nets across the Mediterranean, in Gaza the dishes have a unique taste.
“To grill fish isn’t easy at home, so I prefer to eat it out,” said Mustafa Hassouna, 39, sharing our table. “The difference is how we cook it - with spices.”
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
Race card
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
9.50pm: Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
9.25pm: Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
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Terminator: Dark Fate
Director: Tim Miller
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis
Rating: 3/5
THE%20SPECS
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FIGHT CARD
Bantamweight Hamza Bougamza (MAR) v Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Catchweight 67kg Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) v Fouad Mesdari (ALG)
Lighweight Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) v Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)
Catchweight 73kg Mostafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) v Yazid Chouchane (ALG)
Middleweight Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) v Badreddine Diani (MAR)
Catchweight 78kg Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Adnan Bushashy (ALG)
Middleweight Sallaheddine Dekhissi (MAR) v Abdel Emam (EGY)
Catchweight 65kg Rachid Hazoume (MAR) v Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG)
Lighweight Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 79kg Omar Hussein (PAL) v Souhil Tahiri (ALG)
Middleweight Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Laid Zerhouni (ALG)
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
ICC Intercontinental Cup
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (captain), Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Boota, Amir Hayat, Ashfaq Ahmed
Fixtures Nov 29-Dec 2
UAE v Afghanistan, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Hong Kong v Papua New Guinea, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Ireland v Scotland, Dubai International Stadium
Namibia v Netherlands, ICC Academy, Dubai
Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.
Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.
The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.
