Israeli forces continue perpetrating grave and systematic violations against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, including against fishermen. Recurrent attacks, arbitrary arrests, and restrictions on Palestinian fishers by Israeli naval forces have rendered fishing off the Gaza coast a dangerous occupation with inherent risk to life and security. The seizure, damage, and destruction of fishing boats are regularly reported, and the use of live ammunition against fishers is recorded periodically by Al Mezan. In the most recent incident, the Israeli navy arrested four fishermen and confiscated two fishing boats off the coast of Beit Lahiya, North Gaza.

According to Al Mezan’s field investigation, at approximately 7:15 am on Tuesday, 16 August 2022, the Israeli navy opened fire and surrounded two fishing boats located three nautical miles off the coast of al-Waha area, west of Beit Lahiya. The boats were carrying four fishermen: Mohammed Ghalib Ramadan al-Sultan, 30, Kamal Hassan Ramadan al-Sultan, 23, Sharif Ahmed Hashem al-Attar, 39, and Mohammed Rafiq Mohammed al-Sultan, 21—all residents of Beit Lahiya, North Gaza District. They were arrested and their boats were confiscated without cause by Israeli authorities.

Al Mezan’s documentation shows that since the beginning of 2022, the Israeli navy has carried out 291 attacks against Palestinian fishermen, injuring 16 (including three children), arbitrarily arresting 45 fishers (including seven children), and confiscating 14 fishing boats. It must also be noted that Israeli authorities still ban the entry of necessary fishing materials and equipment to the Strip as part of their settler-colonial closure against Gaza.

Al Mezan calls for the immediate release of the four fishermen and return of the confiscated boats. Al Mezan strongly condemns Israel’s continuous unwarranted and illegal practices against Palestinian fishers, which are part of Israel’s unlawful closure policy that amounts to a prohibited collective punishment under international law and represent inhumane acts that constitute the crime of apartheid under the 1973 Apartheid Convention.

Al Mezan also reiterates its calls on the international community—including the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Geneva Conventions—to uphold their obligations vis-a-vis the Palestinian people and pressure Israel to end its closure on the Gaza Strip and stop its systematic violations against the civilian population, including fishers.