The Israeli occupation forces have escalated their violations against, and harassment of, Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip.
Al Mezan has documented attacks varying from shooting, damaging of fishing equipment, arresting, and harassing fishermen at work, and also targeting smaller boats with high pressure water pumps.
Al Mezan condemns these attacks on the fishermen, which are part of Israel's regime of closure of the Gaza Strip, and calls for immediate international intervention to bring the closure and violations to an end.
According to the information collected by Al Mezan during the first week of May 2013, Israeli forces sunk six Palestinian fishing boats and damaged nine power generators and 41 lamplights used by fishermen at night.
The Israeli forces also opened fire towards Palestinian fishing boats in 13 separate incidents.
Israeli occupation forces’ attacks on fishermen in Gaza have been on the rise after the ceasefire of 21 November 2012.
The ceasefire agreement stated that the fishing zone in which Palestinian fishermen are permitted to work would extend to six nautical miles; an increase from the previous three nautical miles off the coast.
However, this expansion of the fishing zone was retracted in March 2013, and attacks on fishermen have been on the rise.
Attacks by Israeli occupying forces in the first week of May 2013 are summarized below: 4 May 2013: at app.
5 AM Israeli forces opened fire at fishing boats off the coast of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip.
The boats were within the 3-nautical-mile fishing zone.
Intermittent fire continued until app.
11 AM on the same day.
An Israeli naval boat moved at a very high speed around a small fishing boat owned by Mohammed Bakir, 30, and filled it with water.
The boat almost sank and the water damaged the power generator and six lamplights on the boat.
Fishermen in Rafah stopped their work that day after this incident.
5 May 2013: at app.
8:30 PM Israeli naval vessels opened fire at fishing boats off the coast of Gaza City, opposite Al-Baydar resort.
The boats were within the 3-nautical-mile fishing zone.
In one incident, an Israeli naval boat approached a fishing boat owned by Ibrahim Haniyeh, 21, as he was taking his ten nets out of the water.
Soldiers on the naval boats carried sharp-ended poles, which they used to cut four of the nets.
The soldiers ordered Ibrahim to head eastward towards the shore.
5 May 2013: at app.
8 PM Israeli naval vessels opened fire at fishing boats off the coast of Gaza City, opposite to Gaza City harbor.
The boats were within the 3-nautical-mile fishing zone.
An Israeli military boat sank a fishing boat by using high-pressure water pumps.
One of the fishermen informed Al Mezan that he saw the Israeli naval boat using big hoses to pump water at fishing boats and that one of the fishing boats, which is owned by Abdel Salam Al-Shantaf, 45, was sunk, damaging the power generator and two lamplights on it.
5 May 2013: at app.
11 PM Israeli naval vessels opened fire at fishing boats off the coast of Deir Al-Balah.
The boats were within the 3-nautical-mile fishing zone.
Israeli military boats also used high-pressure water pumps against five fishing boats owned by Munir Al-Amoudi, 33, and damaged two power generators and ten lamplights on them.
8 May 2013: at app.
1:30 AM Israeli naval vessels opened fire at fishing boats off the coast of Gaza City, opposite the harbor.
The boats were app.
2.
5 nautical miles from shore.
Israeli military boats used high-pressure water pumps against fishing boats, damaging two power generators and 23 lamplights on them.
8 May 2013: at app.
11 AM Israeli naval vessels opened fire at fishing boats off the coast of Gaza City, opposite the harbor.
The boats were app.
2.
5 nautical miles from shore.
An Israeli military boat used high-pressure water pumps against a fishing boat, targeting the boat incessantly.
A fisherman, Bashir Abu Ryala, 52, who was on the boat, was injured from an electric shock as a result, and lost consciousness for several minutes as the water hit the power generator on the boat.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights reiterates its strong condemnation of the continued barrage of attacks against, and harassment of Palestinian fishermen.
Al Mezan denounces all of the unlawful restrictions imposed by Gaza's borders and sea by the Israeli occupying forces.
Palestinian fishermen have a right to carry out their work freely and safely.
The Israeli forces’ attacks expose them to loss of life, injury, detention, ill-treatment, and loss of income.
These arbitrary measures and attacks by the Israeli forces constitute violations of international law as well as the fishermen’s human rights and dignity.
Al Mezan therefore calls on the international community to swiftly intervene and provide the due protection for Palestinian civilians under Israeli control in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli forces must stop its arbitrary attacks on fishermen and ensure their dignity and human rights are respected.
Any agreements, including ceasefire agreements, cannot justify deliberate attacks on civilians, which remain unlawful.
Israeli forces must also bring its unlawful regimen of closure in Gaza to a swift end.
END