Abstract

The Mediterranean waters of Palestine are home to numerous sea turtle species. Due to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, described as a genocidal and ethnically motivated war that began on October 7, 2023, and the accompanying blockade and famine, Gazans have been driven to consume sea turtle meat to meet their animal protein needs. This study highlights how this worsening famine has driven Gazans to consume the meat of globally endangered sea turtles. This dirty and immoral Israeli war, which used deliberate starvation as a weapon, drove the Gazans to seek out any food they could find. Gazans resorted to eating various types of herbs, grasses, and animal feed. They also hunted various species of terrestrial wildlife, including birds and mammals. Eventually, they turned to the sea to catch some of its creatures, including endangered sharks, dolphins, and sea turtles, for food. Till now, the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta Linnaeus, 1758) and the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas Linnaeus, 1758) are the only species caught and eaten by Gazans. Sea turtle meat was sold in local markets for $30 or more per kilogram. Many of those lucky enough to find sea turtle meat were tasting it for the first time in their lives, never imagining they would have to eat sea turtles just to survive. Many media outlets and social media platforms have been competing to cover the incident of Gazans eating endangered sea turtles. Palestinian forums hope that the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip will end and that Gazans will enjoy food security, enabling them to sustainably protect sea turtles and other endangered marine creatures.

Keywords:Endangered sea turtles; Israeli war; Blockade; Famine; Protein deprivation; Sea turtle meat consumption; Media coverage