Israeli Gunboats Open Fire at Palestinian Fishing Boats, Arrest Six Fishermen and Confiscate a Boat Western Deir Al Balah

At approximately 4:00 pm on Thursday, 8 September 2016, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats which were in the Gaza sea, about 6 nautical miles deep in Deir Al Balah coast. According to Al Mezan’s field investigations, Israeli gunboats surrounded a fishing boat and ordered  six fishermen on board to take off their clothes, to jump to the sea and to swim towards the Israeli boat. The Israeli forces then arrested and took them to Ashdod port and confiscated their boat.  Al Mezan identified their names as follows:

• Mohammed Abdel  Mou’ti Al Habeel, 26;
• Abdel  Mou’ti Rami Al Habeel, 17;
• Abdel Mou’ti Ibrahim Al Habeel, 18;
• Ali Ayman Al Habeel, 17,
• Ahmed Mohammed Al Arayshi, 22; and
• Fayez Ahmed Abu Foul, 47.

At 2:00 approximately am on Friday, 9 September 2016, Israeli authorities released the six fishermen and kept their boat in custody.