Reference: 54/2015

Date: 9 December 2015

Throughout the eight years of closure/blockade, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have continually attacked Palestinian fishermen in the Israeli-restricted six nautical mile fishing zone. Over the past few days, Israeli forces attacked two fishing boats carrying six fishermen off the cost of Gaza City.

According to Al Mezan’s monitoring, since the beginning of 2015, the IOF opened fire at Palestinian fishermen in a total of 116 incidents resulting in 27 injuries. The IOF arrested 45 fishermen, confiscated 14 fishing boats, and destroyed 12 pieces of fishing equipment during the same period.

At approximately 4:00 pm on Monday, 7 December 2015, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the cost of Al Sudaniya neighborhood, west Gaza City. The IOF surrounded the boat and ordered the four fishermen to take off their clothes and swim to the Israeli gunboat. The fishermen were arrested and taken to Ashdod port.

Al Mezan has identified those arrested as follows: 

• Salah Murad Meqdad, 66, the owner of the boat;
• Ali Nafez Al Akhsham, 34;
• Yousri Nafez Al Akhsham, 22; and
• Mohammed Abdel Aziz Al Halabi, 40.

At approximately 3:00 am the following day, the IOF released the four fishermen, but kept the boat confiscated.

At approximately 5:30 am on Monday, 7 December 2015, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishermen who were about six nautical miles from the Al Shati' (Beach) refugee camp, west Gaza City. When the fishermen attempted to return to the shore, an Israeli gunboat started pursuing them, frequently veering their boat to make high waves in an attempt to sink their boat. According to witnesses, the heavy gunfire shot from the IOF severely damaged the boat. The gunboats surrounded the fishing boat and forced two of the fishermen to take off their clothes and swim to one of them. The IOF arrested the fishermen and took them to an unknown destination.

Al Mezan identified those arrested as follows: Zayid Zaki Tarroush, 22, resident of Beit Lahiya; and Mahmoud Mohammed Bakr, 30, resident of Al Shati refugee camp. The two fishermen were still in detention at the time of publication of this press release.

Within the context of closure/blockade, the Israeli authorities prevent new engines for boats from entering Gaza, as well as the fiberglass used to make fishing boats. This restriction has an enormous impact on the fishing community, previously one of the strongest economic sectors in the Gaza Strip. This community is now considered extremely vulnerable, with increasing poverty and unemployment.

The Israeli policy of restricting Palestinian fishermen to six nautical miles (at times three nautical miles) is a violation of their right to work and to access lands and resources, and as such, contravenes major human rights obligations as well as the Oslo Accords that promulgated a fishing zone of 20 nautical miles. The direct attacks, arrests, and detention of fishermen is a violation of their right to life and to live free from harm, and violates the prohibition of arbitrary arrest and detention and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights expresses its strong condemnation of the policies and practices that infringe on the rights of Palestinian fishermen, their communities, and on the fishing sector. The Israeli government deprives the Palestinian population of access to basic, fundamental, and inalienable rights and violates international law, including prohibitions, such as torture and ill-treatment. Al Mezan calls for opening avenues to justice and accountability, and ending the widespread impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of such chronic human rights violations.

Al Mezan reiterates its call on the international community to promptly intervene and to uphold its legal and moral obligations to the protected persons of the occupied Palestinian territory, to respect its legal obligations under international law to provide protection for Palestinian civilians, and to ensure that all perpetrators of grave breaches of international humanitarian law and of human rights are brought to justice.

End