“I have always tried to save sea turtles, those helpless creatures that get caught in fishermen’s nets. I used to feel proud when I released them back into the sea. But today, in the shadow of a devastating famine, I find myself completely powerless, unable to protect them.”

With these touching words, Palestinian diver Mohammad Asaad from the Gaza Strip described the painful reality of fishermen turning to sea turtles as a source of food to feed their children, weakened by hunger.

Under the harsh Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, and with the escalating famine now threatening the lives of thousands, many residents have turned to eating sea turtle meat after essential food supplies ran out, blocked by Israeli authorities from entering the territory.

Some lucky fishermen have managed to catch sea turtles, using their meat for cooking as a desperate attempt to stave off hunger for themselves and their families. Others have chosen to sell the meat in local markets, where a kilogram can fetch as much as 100 shekels (about 30 US dollars) — a high price that reflects the severe food scarcity.

Since early March 2025, Israeli authorities have completely halted the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, including food, fuel, medicine, and basic goods. This strict blockade of the crossings has caused near-total paralysis of supply chains, drastically worsening the humanitarian situation. Relief organizations can no longer meet even the most basic needs of the population.

In Gaza’s markets, residents desperately search for anything remotely edible. Choices have become so limited that even small birds and sea turtles, once protected, have become sought-after commodities. The ongoing war, with no end in sight, has stripped people of their most basic rights and left them without the luxury of choosing what to eat.

Those lucky enough to find some sea turtle meat may taste it for the first time in their lives, never having imagined that a day would come when they would be forced to eat sea turtle just to survive.

Mohammad Shorbagy, a resident of Gaza, also found himself eating sea turtle meat. He felt a strange and conflicted mix of emotions, tasting something unfamiliar for the first time. He did not tell his children what they were eating, fearing they would stop eating altogether. He knew they desperately needed protein, with chicken, meat, and legumes having disappeared from the markets weeks ago. He wanted to feed them without adding to their fear or sadness.

Shorbagy felt he had no other choice. The famine sweeping through the territory left him with a harsh reality he could not escape — a reality that United Nations agencies had warned about, confirming that the humanitarian situation in Gaza had reached a “catastrophic” stage. Relief organizations’ food stocks have run out, and with the continued blockade, hope for new aid has all but vanished.

The World Food Programme also warned that thousands of people in Gaza once again face the threat of severe hunger and malnutrition, as food supplies dwindle and borders remain closed to humanitarian aid.

On the shores of Khan Younis, Mohammad Qanan was fishing when he spotted a sea turtle approaching the beach. He managed to catch it, extracting around a kilogram and a half of meat, which he took home and served to his children and mother with a bit of broth. This was the first time in his life he had eaten turtle meat. Before the war, he had been accustomed to eating various types of fish, as he used to sail 12 nautical miles into the sea with permission from the Israeli navy, often returning with abundant catches.

Qanan said he did not think much about cooking the turtle meat. His only concern was to fill the stomachs of his children, who had become used to going to bed hungry most nights. For him, it was not a matter of taste or preference, but one of sheer survival.

Flour Shortage in Gaza

Alongside the meat crisis, residents of the Gaza Strip are also struggling with a severe shortage of flour, a critical staple for bread production. Flour has disappeared from the markets, and with it, the loaves of bread that once filled the hungry bellies of children and families who have been living through a prolonged war for the past 19 months. Desperate to find alternatives, some residents have started grinding lentils, pasta, and leftover rice to make bread substitutes that can barely stave off hunger.

The price of a 25-kilogram sack of flour has surged to around 2,000 shekels (approximately 550 US dollars), a price far beyond the reach of the overwhelming majority of the population. This spike comes as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has halted food aid distribution due to depleted stocks and the continued closure of the crossings, which prevent new shipments from entering the territory.

Outside one of the few remaining mills still operating on solar power in the center of Gaza City, hundreds of people stand in line, each carrying small amounts of lentils, rice, or pasta, waiting for their turn to have it ground into flour so they can make bread at home.

Despite these improvised solutions, everyone knows they are merely temporary measures, insufficient to combat the growing hunger and incapable of meeting the daily nutritional needs of children, who have no understanding of blockades, wars, or closed crossings. All they know is that they are hungry and want food to eat three times a day.

Many in Gaza fear that within a few days, even these meager substitutes will run out, leaving them with nothing to eat, especially as Israel continues to threaten a full-scale reoccupation of the territory.