Unlike other people on the world, Palestinians in Gaza face numerous complex restrictions if they decide to travel to or from Gaza through the Israeli-controlled Erez Crossing or Rafah Crossing.
Gazans usually go through long procedures, from bureaucratic follow-ups in order to register their names for travel and security checks to a waiting period that may extend to several weeks or months to obtain an Israeli permit.
With all of these restrictions, Gaza beach has long provided much-needed relief for the 2 million residents of the Gaza Strip, cut off from the rest of the world. They come to swim, play soccer, relax, or as many poetically put it — speak to the sea.
According to the Oslo Agreement, signed by the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel in 1994, permits the Palestinians to sail up to 20 nautical miles (about 37 km) off the Gaza coast.
However, that has never been permitted in reality. Instead, Israel arbitrarily limits fishing to an ever-changing zone that is never further than 12 nautical miles out.
*** These images used in the photogallery news have been taken by the Palestinian photographer Ibraheem M. Lafi
