Gaza fishermen want change to siege

Gaza – Ma’an – Gaza's Fishers Union met Sunday at its headquarters in an effort to jointly articulate specific concerns and problems faced by fishermen, and propose solutions.

Union leader Saed Zyadeh said the meeting would be a venue to air concerns, and added that the union would do its best to raise those issues with local officials and international actors, if possible.

Zyadeh said he expected that the overwhelming issue would be the continual attacks by Israeli forces against fishing boats that venture outside the unilaterally-imposed three-mile fishing limit.

Fishermen have said it is next to impossible to take in a large catch within the Israeli-imposed limit, so many venture into deeper waters hoping for a larger haul. The risk has often cost fishermen their lives, or at least their boats, which are confiscated by Israeli naval officers and not often returned.

When Zyadeh collects the complaints and concerns of his union members, he said he intends to take them to human rights organizations and demand more protection for workers.

In 1995, the Oslo Accords mandated a 20-nautical mile limit to Gaza waters, more than enough space for the thousands of fishers who make their living off Gaza's coast. In 2002 and in the wake of violence during the Second Intifada, the Bertini sought to assuage Israeli concerns about weapons smuggling and reduced the sea-area under Gaza control to 12 nautical miles, just enough for fishers to maintain their livelihoods.

In 2006, Israel unilaterally decided to reduce the fishing limit to 6 nautical miles, during its war with Lebanon and following the capture of an Israeli soldier by Gaza resistance factions.

A second unilateral decision saw the fishing area reduced to three nautical miles during Israel's war on Gaza in December-January 2008-9.

PCHR weekly report 17/6 - 23/6/2010

extracts from PCHR weekly report 17/6 - 23/6/2010

Friday, 18 June 2010

At approximately 07:30, Israeli gunboats stationed off the coast of Beit Lahia beach in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian boats, forcing them to sail back to the beach. No casualties were reported. 

Israeli Gun Boats Open Fire on Palestinian Fishing Boats west of Beit Lahyia

18-6-2010

Al Mezan

At app. 7:45pm on Friday 18 June 2010, Israeli naval vessels that patrol the sea opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats in Beit Lahyia in North Gaza District. No casualties or injuries were reported, but the fishermen were terrified and left the area without finishing their fishing.

PCHR weekly report 10/6 - 16/6/2010

extracts from PCHR weekly report 10/6 - 16/6/2010: 


Monday, 14 June 2010


 At approximately 09:00, Israeli gunboats stationed off the coast of Beit Lahia beach in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats, which were forced to sail back to the beach. No casualties were reported.

PCHR weekly report 3/6 - 9/6/2010: Palestinian fisherman killed by IOF fire

extracts from PCHR weekly report 3/6 - 9/6/2010

Monday, 07 June 2010

 At approximately 03:30, Israeli naval troops, reinforced by aircrafts, located nearly 1 kilometer off the coast of the al-Zahraa' beach, south of Gaza City, opened fire at a group of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (the armed wing of Fatah movement), killing 5 members of the group and a fisherman. The bodies of the fisherman and 1 member of the group were found on the following day. Those killed were identified as:

1. Mahmoud Khalil Mohammed Radi, 26, a fisherman from Nussairat refugee camp;

2. Fayez Nahidh Mustafa al-Fairi, 20, from Jabalya refugee camp, shot in the head;

3. Na'el Hashem Fakhri Qwaider, 34, from Gaza City, shot in the head;

4. Hamed Hussein Ahmed Thabet, 21, from al-Nussairat refugee camp, shot in the head;

5. Ibrahim Mash'our Wajeeh al-Wihaidi, 23, from Gaza City, shot in the head and the chest.

The Palestinian media quoted sources of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades as saying that members of the Brigades wearing diving suits were training in the sea, nearly 1 kilometer away from al-Zahraa' beach, whereupon Israeli naval troops intercepted and fired at them. The Israeli media quoted sources of IOF as saying that the Israeli navy foiled an attempt of infiltration into Israel through the sea.

PCHR weekly report 27/5 - 2/6/2010

extracts from PCHR weekly report 27/5 - 2/6/2010

Wednesday, 02 June 2010 


At approximately 20:45, Israeli gunboats stationed off the beach of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats. Palestinian fishermen were forced to sail back to the beach and no casualties were reported.

Israeli Gun Boats Open Fire on Palestinian Fishing Boats west of Beit Lahyia

2-6-2010

Al Mezan

At app. 8:45pm on Wednesday 2 June 2010, Israeli naval vessels that patrol the sea opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats in Beit Lahyia in North Gaza District. No casualties or injuries were reported, but the fishermen were terrified and left the area without finishing their fishing.