Published yesterday (updated) 01/09/2009 12:36
Gaza – Ma'an – Israeli warships bombarded Palestinian boats off the Sudaniyya shore north of Gaza City on Monday morning, according to Nizar Ayyash, head of the Fishermen's Union. The official said the boat, which belonged to Umar Ibrahim Al-Habeil, was set ablaze by several shells fired from an Israeli naval unit operating in the area. Al-Habeil was reportedly injured in the attack. In a statement, Gaza's Agriculture Ministry said fishermen were unable to put out a fire that burned large sections of the boat. It called on Israel to stop targeting fishers, as the industry is their only source of income. Approached by Ma'an, an Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed that the boat was damaged by naval fire. However she said the navy also helped put out the blaze. She said no one was injured or arrested.The spokeswoman added that a number of vessels, including the damaged ship, violated a northern boundary patrolled by Israel's navy. She said the navy first fired warning shots into the air when the boat refused to turn back, but targeted the ship when it did not. The attack on Monday was not thought to be related to the ongoing siege of the coastal strip since the northern boundary, while entirely inside Gazan territorial waters, was determined by a joint agreement. But Israel's navy has regularly targeted Palestinian fishermen who venture off the coast ever since the military unilaterally declared waters more than three kilometers from the shore a no-fishing zone in January 2009. Last Thursday, medical officials said a fisherman was killed and another injured in a similar shelling attack off the Gaza coast. Israel's military denied that its navy had anything to do with that incident.
Gaza fishing boat bombed by Israeli navy
Monday August 31, 2009 17:01 by IMEMC & Agencies
The Israeli navy attacked Palestinian fishing boats off the shores of northern Gaza on Monday morning. One boat caught fire after it was bombed by several Israeli shells.
Israeli navy firing shells - Reprinted from Palestine Chronicle
The Israeli army confirmed the attack, as well as the damage to the fishing boat, saying the boat went beyond the northern boundary of the Strip. The Israeli navy regularly attacks Palestinian boats that are fishing off the Gaza shores.
In January 2009 Israel imposed tight regulations on the Palestinian fishing sector declaring waters more than 3 kilometers off the shore a no-fishing zone. Ever since Israel imposed its blockade on the Gaza Strip in June 2007, fishing has been one of the few remaining sources of income.
Gaza Fishermen under Israeli fire again
Monday, 31 August 2009 22:21 Added by PT Editor Ayman Quader
Gaza, August 31, 2009 (Pal Telegraph)-Medical officials reported today that Israeli naval forces shelled a fishing boat north of the Gaza strip, near Al Sudania district, this malicious attack completely destroyed a Palestinian boat and in the process injured its owner. The Palestinian Agriculture Ministry in Gaza, stated that fisherman Omar Al-Habil and his boat was less than one kilometre off the Sudania beach north of Gaza city when the Israeli navy ships targeted him.
Additionally the ministry stated that other Gaza fishing boats tried in vain to direct the fire away from the already stricken boat.
After being prevented from adequately equipping their boats due to the now 3 year old siege of Gaza, the fishermen are suffering from a some-what disturbing change of tactics by the Israeli regime and as a consequence they are now suffering the final indignity of being prevented from both gaining their livelihoods & feeding their families.
