Beach Lovers: Enjoy Clean Mediterranean Waters This Summer!

For the first time in years, the Palestinian citizens living in the Gaza Strip now have the possibility to access safe beaches and swim in clean waters, granting the locked population some joyous moments along the Mediterranean Sea.

“The summer season in Gaza Strip will be relatively safe compared to previous years because of the noticeable improvement of the quality of seawater,” says Mohammad Mesleh, director of environmental resources.

International-funded sewage treating facilities are now in operation, cleaning dozens of millions of cubic meters of untreated sewage. The pollution is at its lowest rate in many years. Today, 65% of beaches are safe and clean, and very few red flags warning people against swimming appear on the sandy beaches. In fact, the Hamas-run Environment Quality and Water Authority plans on expanding that proportion of clean beaches. For the 2.3 million Palestinians who live in the narrow coastal strip – it measures 375 square kilometers long – clean waters and beaches are the only vacations most can afford.