Gazans enjoyed clean seawater for the first time in years as the water looked crystal blue, with no trace of sewage that once hindered Palestinians in the Gaza Strip from going swimming.

For years, Gaza witnessed an environmental disaster when untreated sewage flowed directly into the waters off Gaza, however, the Environment Quality and Water Authority said that “sewage dumped into the sea was now partially treated, making 65% of the beach safe and clean, with plans to expand it.”

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

Images showed hundreds of Gazans as they flocked to the sea to enjoy swimming.

Sahar Abu Bashir, a mother of four, told Reuters, "We couldn't come before because the sea was polluted and if we did, our children used to come back home with viruses and skin diseases."

"Today the area is clean and the sea is clean. We felt as if we were in another country," she added.