Israeli abuses against Palestinian fishermen in Gazan waters have escalated in recent weeks, as Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have adopted new tactics causing increased physical damage to Palestinian fishing boats.
  The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights has noted that the IOF has recently begun opening fire directly on the boats’ engines, with no justifiable cause.
  In addition, Palestinian fishermen are subject to inhumane treatment when they are arrested.
 The IOF forces fishermen to take off their clothes and swim to Israeli vessels in cold water, then handcuffs and blindfolds them before subjecting them to interrogation.
 When the fishermen are released their suffering continues as they struggle to recover their boats and belongings from impoundment in Israel.
  These escalating attacks come in the context of Israel’s maritime siege on the Gaza Strip, which prevents Palestinian fishermen from working, even within the Israeli-imposed “fishing zone” of three nautical miles.
 The Israeli authorities are thus seeking to entrench the maritime siege.
  The IOF deliberately opens fire on and around Palestinian fishermen and damages their boats and engines, preventing them from working, even when the fishermen are within the Israeli-imposed “fishing zone.
”   Al Mezan’s field investigations indicate that the IOF has escalated its attacks on Palestinian fishermen over the course of May.
  In this month alone, the IOF carried out 13 attacks on fishermen, impounded four boats, and arrested nine, including two men who were arrested more than once.
 All those arrested were released several hours after their detention.
  These attacks took place chronologically as follows, starting with the most recent incident:   ·         At approximately 6:30 am on Wednesday 30 May 2012, Israeli naval vessels patrolling the Gazan sea opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast northwest of Al Waha resort—near the maritime border—northwest of Beit Lahiya, North Gaza district.
 The IOF ships then surrounded two Palestinian fishing boats and forced four fishermen to take off their clothes and swim to one of the Israeli vessels, where the four were taken into custody.
  Al Mezan has identified those detained as: Jihad Mohammed Ali Yousif As-Sultan, 43; his brother Zaher Yousif As-Sultan, 21; Nouri Ramadan Hasan As-Sultan, 49; and his brother Hasan Ramadan As-Sultan, 39.
 The IOF also confiscated their boats.
  The four are from the As-Salateen neighborhood of Beit Hanoun, and were detained more than once this month.
  ·         Twice on Monday 28 May 2012—once at roughly 6:00 am and again at approximately 6:00 pm—Israeli naval vessels opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast northwest of Al Waha resort.
 The firing frightened the fishermen and they sailed to land immediately.
 No casualties or injuries were reported.
  ·         At approximately 11:30 pm on Sunday 27 May 2012, Israeli gunboats surrounded and opened fire at a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of Rafah.
 The Palestinian boat was about two and half nautical miles away from the shore when the IOF opened fire.
 Israeli soldiers ordered two fishermen on board the boat to sail 500 meters to the west before ordering Mohammed Ahmed Al ‘Amoudi, 59, to take off his clothes, jump in the water, and swim to the naval vessel.
  Naem Mahmoud Abu Hanoun, 65, was then ordered to leave the area and sail to Khan Younis.
 At approximately 2:00 pm on Monday 28 May 2012, the IOF released Al ‘Amoudi.
  ·         At approximately 8:20 am on Tuesday 22 May 2012, Israeli naval forces fired on Palestinian fishing boats in the waters off the coast of Deir Al Balah in Middle Gaza district.
 The boats were about two and a half nautical miles from the coast at the time.
 The firing continued for about 30 minutes and frightened the fishermen, who sailed to land immediately.
 No casualties or injuries were reported.
  ·         In three incidents—at approximately 6:00 am on Thursday 17 May 2012, 6:30 am on Monday 14 May 2012, and 5:45 am on 13 May 2012—the IOF navy fired on Palestinian fishing boats near the maritime border, northwest of the Al Waha coastal resort area.
 The firing frightened the fishermen on the boats and they sailed to land immediately.
 No casualties or injuries were reported.
  ·         At approximately 5:15 am on Thursday 10 May 2012, Israeli naval vessels patrolling the same area opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats, then surrounded one and forced two fishermen to take off their clothes and swim to one of the Israeli vessels, where they were taken into custody.
  The detainees were Jihad Mohammed Ali Yousif As-Sultan, 43, and his brother Zaher Yousif As-Sultan, 21, who were detained for a second time later in the month.
  The IOF released them later the same day but continued to hold their boat.
  ·         In three incidents—at approximately 3:00 am on Monday 7 May 2012, 3:00 am on Sunday 6 May 2012, and 3:40 am Saturday 5 May 2012—the Israeli navy opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast opposite Khan Younis.
 In all three cases the boats were inside the Israeli-imposed “fishing zone” when they came under fire.
 Those aboard were frightened and immediately sailed to shore.
 There were no casualties.
  ·         At approximately 8:30 am on Saturday 5 May 2012, Israeli naval vessels opened fire on Palestinian boats about two and a half nautical miles off the coast of the Al Waha resort area.
 IOF ships then surrounded one of the Palestinian boats and ordered two fishermen on board to take off their clothes and swim to the Israeli vessel, then arrested the two men and confiscated their boat.
  The detainees were Mohammed Muhye Ad-Din Omar Baker, 62.
and his son Mohammed, 18, residents of the Ar-Rimal neighborhood west of Gaza City.
  ·         At approximately 3:30 am on Friday 4 May 2012, Israeli naval vessels opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Khan Younis while they were inside the “fishing zone.
”  The firing frightened the fishermen, who sailed to land immediately.
 No casualties or injuries were reported.
  Al Mezan reiterates its strong condemnation of Israel’s continuous violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law in its dealings with Palestinian fishermen.
  Al Mezan considers Israel’s demarcation of a no-go line for Palestinian fishermen (marked by illuminated buoys), the ongoing maritime siege, and the policy of preventing fishermen from working in the areas most full of fish as part of a series of collective punishments imposed on the Gaza Strip.
  It is part of the general Israeli siege on Gaza, which is a form of collective punishment that is banned under international law and may amount to a war crime and a crime against humanity.
  Therefore, Al Mezan reiterates its previous call on the international community to promptly intervene to uphold its moral obligations and its commitments under international law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilians in Time of War, and to ensure respect for the principles of IHL at all times.
 It also calls on the international community to take all necessary measures to end Israel’s gross violations of human rights, to bring the perpetrators to justice, and to take immediate steps to lift the illegal siege imposed on Gaza, including by ensuring freedom to work for Palestinian fishermen.
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