In the heart of the besieged Gaza Strip, desperation is pushing families to the brink — and beyond. With no access to meat or adequate food aid, some residents have begun turning to sea turtles as a rare source of protein in the face of famine.
“For lack of a better alternative, this is the third time I’ve prepared a turtle-based meal,” said 61-year-old Majida Qanan, now living in a tent in Khan Yunis with her displaced family. “The children were afraid of the turtle, and we told them it tasted as delicious as veal. Some of them ate it, but others refused.”
The United Nations has warned that the territory’s 2.4 million residents are facing catastrophic hunger levels after 18 months of war and an Israeli aid blockade since March 2. Aid agencies now say famine is “rapidly unfolding” across Gaza.
“There are no open crossings and there is nothing in the market,” Qanan added. “When I buy two small bags of vegetables for 80 shekels ($22), there is no meat.”
Though internationally protected and endangered, sea turtles are being consumed by desperate families after being caught in fishermen’s nets. The meat is cleaned with flour and vinegar, then boiled with spices, onion, and tomato.
“We never expected to eat a turtle,” said fisherman Abdel Halim Qanan. “When the war started, there was a food shortage. There is no meat, poultry, or vegetables.”
The World Health Organization previously reported that some Gazans had resorted to eating grass and animal feed, even drinking sewage water due to the lack of clean supply.
Hamas has accused Israel of “using starvation as a weapon” by blocking aid, a claim Israel denies, stating that Hamas diverts the aid.
“We slaughter the turtles according to Islamic rites,” said the fisherman. “If there were no famine, we would not eat it. But we want to compensate for the lack of protein.”
