Think about the best escape stories. Maybe your mind goes to The Great Escape or Escape from Alcatraz, but if we're talking about making a break for it in real life, Abu Dakha's story might be the best I've ever heard.
Dakha set out on a mission to escape from Gaza, Palestine, after his home and business were destroyed. The 31-year-old set off in April 2024, paying $5,000 to cross the border into Egypt, hoping to find Asylum in China, but was refused. Undeterred, he made his way to Libya and set his sights on Europe. Unfortunately, Dakha's escape was about to get a lot more troublesome.
Many asylum seekers who make it to Libya are routinely abused or scammed by traffickers, and after 10 failed crossing attempts to Italy, Dakha took matters into his own hands. He bought a Yamaha personal watercraft (PWC) for $5,000 and spent a further $1,500 on a GPS unit, satellite phone, and lifejackets for the other two Palestinian men who joined him on the PWC. After testing the PWC's range, Dakha calculated how much fuel he'd need to reach Italy, and figured out how to carry it all.
