The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) escalated their attacks against Palestinians in Gaza's Israeli-implemented and controlled buffer-zone, or â€کaccess restricted areas, (ARA).
Al Mezan's monitoring and documentation shows that since 1 September 2014, the Israeli forces launched 31 attacks against Palestinians in the ARA, killing 2 and injuring 36 more, including 9 children.
The Israeli attacks against Palestinian fishermen have also seen a spike in frequency with 50 incidents of live fire recorded during the same period.
According to Al Mezan's monitoring, Israeli forces arrested 44 fishermen, injured 17, and confiscated 12 fishing boats and nine pieces of equipment, such as electricity generators, during the same period.
In an attack by Israeli forces at approximately 1:15 am on Saturday, 7 March 2015, Israeli gun boats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats off of the coast west of As-Sudaniya in the Gaza Strip.
The fishermen were in the process of attracting fish before casting their nets when the Israeli forces opened fire on them.
As a result of this first bout of shooting the engines of two boats were damaged.
The fishermen tried to escape but the Israeli forces proceeded to open fire on them directly.
As a result, Tawfiq Sa,eed Mohammed Abu Riyala, 32, was killed, having sustained a bullet to his abdomen.
The Israeli forces arrested Jihad Sa'eed Ahmed Kaskin, 20, and his brother Waheed, 25.
The forces took them to an unknown location and confiscated their boats.
At approximately 1:00 pm on the same day, medical sources at Shifa Hospital pronounced Abu Riyala dead from wounds he had sustained in this attack.
At approximately 2:00 pm on the same day, the IOF released the two fishermen.
The IOF kept the two boats, the GPS, and 700 fishing hooks.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns Israel's escalation of attacks against Palestinian civilians and the use of excessive force against them, especially in the ARA.
Al Mezan asserts that the IOF shooting against Palestinian civilians who pose no threat on them represents a grave breach of international law.
Al Mezan asserts that the silence of the international community and its disregard to legal obligations under international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention has encouraged Israel forces to continue perpetrating serious violations; including imposing an unlawful closure/blockade on Gaza and applying lethal force against unarmed civilians.
Al Mezan reiterates its call on the international community to promptly intervene to uphold its legal and moral obligations towards civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory; to respect its obligations under international law; and to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of gross violations of international humanitarian law.
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