The Gaza Strip is almost entirely coastline — a forty-kilometre band of dunes and sandy beach running from the Egyptian border at Rafah to the boundary with Israel at the north. The beach has historically been Gaza's main recreational space: an evening promenade, a Friday picnic spot, and a working harbour for the small wooden fishing fleet that worked the inshore waters.
The water is shallow and warm, the swimming was traditionally popular, and beachside cafes along the corniche in Gaza City served grilled fish, hummus, and shisha into the evening. Pollution from sewage and damaged infrastructure has been a recurring problem, and access has been intermittent during periods of fighting and blockade.