Channels

Photo: AFP
Gazans on bottle boat
Photo: AFP

Gazans build bottle boat

Five Palestinians from coastal strip scrap together a 13-foot vessel out of some 1,000 green plastic bottles.

With little to do and nowhere to go, five Palestinians stuck in the Gaza Strip came up with a plan: make a boat out of recycled plastic bottles.

 

 

The tiny coastal enclave, home to 1.8 million people, has been under a land and sea blockade since 2006. Both Israel and Egypt enforce a strict closure of the coastal territory.

 

Gazans aboard bottle boat (Photo: AFP)
Gazans aboard bottle boat (Photo: AFP)

And as for the Mediterranean Sea, Gazans can only venture to six nautical miles offshore before they face interception by the Israeli navy.

 

Palestinian children paddle in harbor (Photo: AFP)
Palestinian children paddle in harbor (Photo: AFP)

 

"We wanted to break the depression that comes from being stuck in Gaza," said Bahaa Obeid, a 25-year-electrician who built the boat with his lawyer cousin Mohamed Obeid, also 25.

 

For three months the five friends shaped and welded scrap metal to form a rigid frame before fitting it out with nearly 1,000 green plastic bottles. "It took some time to make because we only had six hours of electricity a day," said Bahaa.

 

Bottle boat out for a voyage (Photo: AFP)
Bottle boat out for a voyage (Photo: AFP)

 

They spent about $500 on their creation, a four-meter (13-foot) vessel two meters wide that now flies the Palestinian flag. "We can go out fishing or just for a cruise," said Mohamed.

 

"It's something new, maybe a bit bizarre," he said of the bright green boat that has been attracting attention on the Gaza shore.

 


פרסום ראשון: 04.18.15, 22:43
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment