Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continue to carry out systematic attacks on Palestinian fishermen.
 The IOF regularly opens fire on fishermen, pursues them at sea while they are fishing, and arrests them.
 In the most recent example, Israeli gunboats opened fire on two Palestinian fishing boats in two separate incidents in the Al Waha area west of Beit Lahiya, North Gaza district.
 The IOF arrested four fishermen, including a child, on board the boats, and later released them.
  Two of those detained were subjected to blackmail.
  At approximately 7:10 am on Monday 13 February 2012, Israeli naval vessels patrolling the Gaza sea opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast north of Al Waha resort, in the As-Sudaniya area in the west of Beit Lahiya, North Gaza district.
  A number of Israeli naval vessels then approached the Palestinian fishing boats and surrounded them.
 The IOF ordered two fishermen on the boats to take off their clothes and swim towards the Israeli vessels.
 The IOF then arrested the men and confiscated their boat and fishing nets.
 Al Mezan has identified the two detained as Jamal Ramadan Jamal As-Sultan, 60, and his son Fadel, 22.
  Their nets remained confiscated as of publication of this news item at 2:30 pm on Monday 13 February 2012.
  In a separate incident the evening before, at approximately 5:40 pm on Sunday 12 February 2012, Israeli naval vessels opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats in the same part of the sea, off the coast north of Al Waha resort, in the As-Sudaniya area in the west of Beit Lahiya, North Gaza district.
  As in the other incident, Israeli naval forces surrounded the Palestinian boats, forced two of those aboard to strip and swim to the IOF vessels, then arrested them, taking the detainees and their boat and fishing nets northwards, presumably towards Ashdod harbor.
  Al Mezan has identified the two detained as Adham Mahmoud Abu Riyalah, 22, and his brother Mohammed, 14.
  At approximately 1:30 am the following day the IOF released the two brothers.
  The boat and the fishing nets were still impounded as of publication of this news.
  It is worth noting that Abu Riyalah had dropped his fishing nets within the zone demarcated by illuminated Israeli buoys.
 The IOF places these buoys in the Gazan sea at four-kilometer intervals, about three nautical miles off the coastline.
 The buoys form a line demarcating the no-go zone for Palestinian fishermen.
 However, the current had pushed the fishing nets a few meters past the buoys.
  In his affidavit to Al Mezan, Adham stated that the IOF initially cuffed his hands and legs with plastic straps and that after interrogation he was cuffed with iron bands.
 Abu Riyalah also stated that the IOF attempted to blackmail him and bargain with him to collaborate.
  The IOF often exploits Palestinian patients in need of medical treatment abroad and blackmails them in violation of international human rights principles and international humanitarian law.
  The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the continuous Israeli attacks on Palestinian fishermen.
 It also emphasizes that Israel’s imposition of restrictions on fishing is part of a series of collective punishments imposed on Gaza, which comes in the general context of the Israeli siege on the Strip.
  Therefore, Al Mezan reiterates its previous call on the international community to promptly intervene and uphold its legal and moral obligations under international law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
  This Convention stipulates respect for international humanitarian law at all times and details procedures to ensure an end to gross violations and legal accountability for perpetrators.
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