Israeli Navy Arrests Four Palestinian Fishermen in Rafah

At approximately 7:00 AM on Friday, 8 April 2016, Israeli navy arrested four fishermen who were sailing on two fishing boats at about six nautical miles off the coast, opposite the area located between Rafah and Khan Younis. The fishermen were identified as follows: Mohammed Jihad Riziq Mesleh, 26; his brother, Bilal, 21; Ahmed Omar Mohammed Al-Bardaweel, 27; and his brother, Iyad, 21.

According to Al Mezan’s available information, on Thursday, 7 April 2016, three fishing boats which belong to Al-Bardaweel and Mesleh families sailed form Rafah coast. One of these boats broke down on Friday morning, so the others decided to tow it along. When the boats reached 6 nautical miles, two Israeli rubber boats surrounded the fishermen and led them to an undisclosed location while leaving the third broken-down boat behind.