extracts from PCHR weekly report 20/1 - 26/1/2011:
IOF continued to target Palestinian workers, farmers and fishermen in border areas in the Gaza Strip.
Saturday,22 January 2011
At approximately 20:40, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats opposite to Beit Lahia beach in the northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian fishermen were forced to flee towards the beach, and no casualties were reported.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Israeli navy kidnaps four Palestinian fishermen at sea
| [ 20/01/2011 - 10:19 AM ] |
 |
GAZA, (PIC)-- The ministry of agriculture in Gaza Strip said that the Israeli navy gunboats kidnapped four Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Khan Younis, south of the Strip, at a late hour on Wednesday night. The ministry's fishery department said in a statement on Thursday that the Israeli navy attacked the fishermen, three of them brothers, aboard a small fishing boat while fishing off the coast and took them along with their boat to an unknown destination. It said that the attacks on fishermen at sea had recently escalated, noting that the Israeli occupation harasses fishermen with the start of every new fishing season. The occupation allows Gaza fishermen to operate only three nautical miles off the coast and even stalks them there, it pointed out. The ministry held the Israeli occupation authority fully responsible for the lives of those fishermen, urging the Red Cross and human rights institutions to immediately intervene to demand the release of the fishermen and their equipment. It said that pressures should be made on the IOA to allow more space for fishermen and expand their fishing area to six nautical miles at least. -------- 4 Palestinian fishermen briefly detained Published today (updated) 20/01/2011 22:48 GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Israeli ships ordered a boat of four fishermen to disembark Wednesday and detained the crew upon boarding, Ministry of Agriculture officials in Gaza said. The ministry says three of the detainees are brothers, identified as Ahed, Nidal, and Ahmad Muhammad Abul Kheir. The fourth was identified as Muneer Sa’eed Al-Amoudy. An Israeli military spokeswoman said that naval patrols identified a fishing vessel "deviating from the fishing area" and called on the boat to turn back. When the boat failed to comply, she said it was captured and the crew taken for questioning. All four were released on Thursday morning, she said. |
PCHR weekly report 13/1 - 19/1/2011: 4 fishermen abducted
extracts from PCHR weekly report 13/1 - 19/1/2011:
IOF arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen, including two children.
IOF arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen, including two children.
Friday, January 14, 2011
PCHR weekly report 6/1 - 12/1/2011: 4 fishermen including 2 children abducted, only 3 released
extracts from PCHR weekly report 6/1 - 12/1/2011:
IOF arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen, including two children.
Friday, 07 January 2011
At approximately 16:20, Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to Beit Lahia beach in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats. Palestinian fishermen were forced to flee towards the beach and no casualties were reported.
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
At approximately 11:00, Israeli naval troops arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen, including two children, when they were sailing 2.5 nautical miles away from Gaza beach. They released 3 fishermen, but kept the fourth one, Mohammed Khaled Abu 'Omaira, 19. The other fishermen are:
1. Ussama Nasser Abu 'Omaira, 18;
2. Mahmoud Khaled Abu 'Omaira, 16; and
3. Saher Khaled Juha, 16.
IOF arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen, including two children.
Friday, 07 January 2011
At approximately 16:20, Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to Beit Lahia beach in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats. Palestinian fishermen were forced to flee towards the beach and no casualties were reported.
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
At approximately 11:00, Israeli naval troops arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen, including two children, when they were sailing 2.5 nautical miles away from Gaza beach. They released 3 fishermen, but kept the fourth one, Mohammed Khaled Abu 'Omaira, 19. The other fishermen are:
1. Ussama Nasser Abu 'Omaira, 18;
2. Mahmoud Khaled Abu 'Omaira, 16; and
3. Saher Khaled Juha, 16.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
IOF Arrests Four Fishermen; including Two Children on Gaza Coast
11-1-2011
Around midday on Tuesday 11 January 2011, Israeli naval vessels that patrol Gaza sea arrested four Palestinian fishermen and confiscated their boat. The fishermen were working about 2.5 kilometers off Gaza shore; i.e. inside the permitted fishing zone Israel had declared. The IOF arrested the fishermen opposite the Al Sheikh 'Ijleen area, west of Gaza city. Two of them are children. The IOF took them and their boat north, expectedly towards Ashdod harbor. The reasons behind the arrest have remained unknown. Al Mezan identified the names of fishermen as follows:
· Usama Nasser Mohammed Abu Amira, 18;
· Mohammed Khalid Mohammed Abu Amira, 19;
· Mahmoud Khalid Mohammed Abu Amira, 17; and
· Saher Khalid Juha, 15.
The fishermen are residents of Al Shati' refugee camp west of Gaza city. In the evening hours on the same day, the IOF released three fishermen and kept Mohammed Khalid Mohammed Abu Amira in detention.
Israel detains 2 fishermen off Gaza coast
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces on Tuesday detained two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza City.
Officials from Gaza's Agriculture Ministry said Israeli naval forces detained Muhammad Khaled Abu Amira and Usama Nasser Abu Amira from a small fishing boat.
An Israeli military spokesman said the men "deviated from the fishing area" and were taken for questioning in Ashdod.
The ministry condemned the detention of the fishermen from Gaza waters, and demanded their immediate release.
Israel maintains a 3-nautical-mile fishing limit, enforced unilaterally since 2008 when the country launched its war on the coastal enclave. Prior to the war, a unilaterally declared 6-nautical-mile limit was imposed following the election of the Hamas government in 2006.
The last agreed-upon fishing limit for Gaza was 20 nautical miles, signed during the Oslo accords in the 1990s.
Officials from Gaza's Agriculture Ministry said Israeli naval forces detained Muhammad Khaled Abu Amira and Usama Nasser Abu Amira from a small fishing boat.
An Israeli military spokesman said the men "deviated from the fishing area" and were taken for questioning in Ashdod.
The ministry condemned the detention of the fishermen from Gaza waters, and demanded their immediate release.
Israel maintains a 3-nautical-mile fishing limit, enforced unilaterally since 2008 when the country launched its war on the coastal enclave. Prior to the war, a unilaterally declared 6-nautical-mile limit was imposed following the election of the Hamas government in 2006.
The last agreed-upon fishing limit for Gaza was 20 nautical miles, signed during the Oslo accords in the 1990s.
Israeli navy kidnaps two Palestinian fishermen |
| [ 11/01/2011 - 03:15 PM ] |
 |
GAZA, (PIC)-- Israeli navy forces kidnapped two Palestinian fishermen afternoon Tuesday off the Gaza coast while fishing in regional waters, the health ministry's fishery department said in a press release. The statement said that the navy gunboats attacked the two fishermen Mohammed Abu Omaira and Osama Abu Omaira while on board their small fishing boat off the Gaza pier. It said that the navy sailors took the fishermen away and left their small boat to capsize. The ministry held the Israeli occupation authority fully responsible for the lives of the two fishermen, urging human rights groups and the Red Cross to immediately intervene to secure their release. The Israeli navy last week abducted three Palestinian fishermen only two nautical miles off the coast of Gaza Strip. The IOA allows Palestinian fishermen to fish in an area three nautical miles off the coast. |
Israeli Navy confiscates two boats of abducted fisherman
09 January 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza
In one week’s time, the Israeli Navy has twice abducted fishermen from Gazan waters; they were released the same day, but their boats remain confiscated.
Abduction of Baker fishermen on January 4th
On Tuesday morning, January 4th, Mohammed ‘Abdul Qader Baker (54), Ziad Mohammed Baker (25), Mohammed Mahmoud Baker (28) and Ra’ef Nabeel Baker (25) were out fishing at approximately 2.5 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza City when they were intercepted by an Israeli gunboat. At gunpoint they were forced to hold their hands up for over an hour, while the gunboat awaited reinforcement of two zodiacs coming from Ashdod. The men were told to undress and swim towards the zodiacs, where they were cuffed, blindfolded and transferred to the gunboat.
“I told them that I am sick and too old to throw myself into the sea with these kinds of temperatures. One of the soldiers on the zodiac replied that if I didn’t jump into the water he would blow my head and the boat”, says the 54 year old Mohamed Abed Qader Baker. Their hassaka, a basic fishing boat of approximately 6 meters, was taken to Ashkelon, while the fishermen were taken to Ashdod. One by one they were taken into a small interrogation room in the harbor, where an officer of the Shin Bet, the Israeli Internal Security Service, inquired about their connections with the Gazan government.
“They told me I was three sea miles and twenty meters from the coast, which is 20 meters beyond the limit the Israeli Navy imposed on us, but it is not true! I am always very careful, I have a GPS: I am sure that I was no further out than 2.5 miles”, states Mohamed firmly.
At the time of the interception, four other Palestinian fishing boats were in the near vicinity, but were not stopped. To Mohamed it is clear why:
“I had just installed a new engine, which coasted 5,500$. The Israeli soldiers are watching us every day: they know when we have new equipment on board. Probably my engine has already been sold to Ashkelon by now.”
Fishermen at Gaza’s port shared the suspicion that well equipped boats were more likely to be confiscated. It is a certainty that not one hassaka seized by the Israeli Navy has ever returned.
“One day we eat the fish, the other day we sell the catch. I’ve put myself in debt to buy that engine and now I don’t have any means to pay them off, nor to provide my family with. We are 25 people in one house; that is six people per room”, says Mohamed.
On September 24th 2010, the Baker family lost 20 year old Mohammed Mansour Baker; he was killed by bullets coming from an Israeli gunboat while he was fishing 2 sea miles off Sudaniya Beach.
Six Fishermen Abducted on December 28th
Early Thursday morning, December 28th 2010, six fishermen, Subeh ‘Abdul Salam al-Hissi, ‘Aadel ‘Abdul Karim Baker, Ramadan Isma’il al-Hissi, Fayez Ahmed al-Hissi and Ahmed Sha’ban al-Hissi returned back to Gaza the same day, but the family’s 19 meters fishing boat remains confiscated by Israel. Thirty families’ incomes, each counting six to seven members, are dependent on this boat.
At 6:30 am they left the port of Gaza with their wooden fishing boat heading towards the north of the Strip. Close to Beit Lahya, 1 to 1.5 miles off Gaza’s coastline, the boat was intercepted by two Israeli zodiacs, each containing approximately 20 soldiers. They boarded the boat, searched, cuffed and blindfolded the men, before obliging them to lay down on the wet surface of the ship. Fayez Ahmed al-Hissi (31) adds that he was hit on the head during the takeover of the ship. The eldest of the company, 59 year old Ahmed Sha’ban al-Hissi, was ordered to sail the boat into Ashdod’s harbor.
In Ashdod, soldiers instructed them to take the fishing net in, after which they were transferred to a docked Israeli gunboat. Plastic bags were put over the men’s heads making it hard for them to breathe, while they were shivering in their soaked clothes. One by one they were interrogated in a small room in the harbor, where the investigator showed a particular interest in Gaza’s harbor and the governmental support for fishermen who suffered damages during the last storm. The head officer, who introduced himself as Ghalid, claiming to be responsible for Al-Shati refugee camp, asked them to point out their houses on a detailed picture taken from the air and to give phone numbers of relatives and friends.
“I replied evasively to their questions, saying the pictures weren’t very clear and that I didn’t know any phone numbers by heart”, said Subeh ‘Abdul Salam al-Hissi (33).
The men could not grasp what they had done to end up there until Subeh’ asked: “Why are we here? Why did you take us from Gazan waters?” Ambiguously, the investigator returned the question by asking them whether they had not felt anything strange while sailing. Different media outlets quote an Israeli military spokesperson saying that the boat “dragged a suspicious object”. Earlier that morning, the men had responded to a call from fellow fishermen that had technical problems at sea. The boat was towed into Gaza’s marina after which the men headed towards northern Gaza, with a fishing net being the only thing the boat dragged.
“I hope we will get our boats back soon, maybe after a month”, says Ahmed Sha’ban al-Hissi hopefully. The wooden boat requires daily maintenance to protect it from water damage. “I asked them if someone could at least turn on the bilge pump each day to pump the water from the boat, but the officer simply stated that it was not his responsibility.”
“Since the siege, our income has come down from 700 dollars to less than 200 dollars a month per fisher. Israel refuses to allow fishing nets in, so we are dependent on the low quality nets from Egypt that come in through the tunnels. Spare parts for the boat are very scarce too. All that and the fishing area being depleted, results in a poor catch, while fish from Al Arish come in abundantly through the tunnels, obliging us to sell our fish at a low price”, says Ahmed Sha’ban al-Hissi.
“Now, I don’t know what to do. We are all waiting at home until our boat comes back.”
Legal background
Al Mazen Center for Human Rights states that between 1 May 2009 and 30 November 2010 the IOF carried out 53 attacks against fishermen: two men were killed, seven injured and 42 arrested, while 17 fishing boats were confiscated and one destroyed. These acts constitute flagrant violations of Israel’s obligations under international law as an occupying power. They violate the Fishermen’s rights to life, work, safety and bodily integrity. They also infringe upon the right not to be tortured and prevent them from maintaining an adequate standard of living.
The Oslo Accords allowed Gazan fishermen to fish in the Mediterranean sea up to 20 nautical miles away from Gaza’s shoreline, but since 1993 Israel has imposed successive restrictions on fishing, the limit for fishermen now stands at just 3 nautical miles since Israel imposed the siege on Gaza in 2007. This has severely reduced the quantity, quality and diversity of the catch. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, nearly 90% of Gaza’s 4000 fishermen are now considered either poor (with a monthly income of between 100 and 190 US dollars) or very poor (earning less than 100 dollars a month), up from 50% in 2008.
Updated on January 9, 2011
In one week’s time, the Israeli Navy has twice abducted fishermen from Gazan waters; they were released the same day, but their boats remain confiscated.
Abduction of Baker fishermen on January 4th
On Tuesday morning, January 4th, Mohammed ‘Abdul Qader Baker (54), Ziad Mohammed Baker (25), Mohammed Mahmoud Baker (28) and Ra’ef Nabeel Baker (25) were out fishing at approximately 2.5 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza City when they were intercepted by an Israeli gunboat. At gunpoint they were forced to hold their hands up for over an hour, while the gunboat awaited reinforcement of two zodiacs coming from Ashdod. The men were told to undress and swim towards the zodiacs, where they were cuffed, blindfolded and transferred to the gunboat.
“I told them that I am sick and too old to throw myself into the sea with these kinds of temperatures. One of the soldiers on the zodiac replied that if I didn’t jump into the water he would blow my head and the boat”, says the 54 year old Mohamed Abed Qader Baker. Their hassaka, a basic fishing boat of approximately 6 meters, was taken to Ashkelon, while the fishermen were taken to Ashdod. One by one they were taken into a small interrogation room in the harbor, where an officer of the Shin Bet, the Israeli Internal Security Service, inquired about their connections with the Gazan government.
“They told me I was three sea miles and twenty meters from the coast, which is 20 meters beyond the limit the Israeli Navy imposed on us, but it is not true! I am always very careful, I have a GPS: I am sure that I was no further out than 2.5 miles”, states Mohamed firmly.
At the time of the interception, four other Palestinian fishing boats were in the near vicinity, but were not stopped. To Mohamed it is clear why:
“I had just installed a new engine, which coasted 5,500$. The Israeli soldiers are watching us every day: they know when we have new equipment on board. Probably my engine has already been sold to Ashkelon by now.”
Fishermen at Gaza’s port shared the suspicion that well equipped boats were more likely to be confiscated. It is a certainty that not one hassaka seized by the Israeli Navy has ever returned.
“One day we eat the fish, the other day we sell the catch. I’ve put myself in debt to buy that engine and now I don’t have any means to pay them off, nor to provide my family with. We are 25 people in one house; that is six people per room”, says Mohamed.
On September 24th 2010, the Baker family lost 20 year old Mohammed Mansour Baker; he was killed by bullets coming from an Israeli gunboat while he was fishing 2 sea miles off Sudaniya Beach.
Six Fishermen Abducted on December 28th
Early Thursday morning, December 28th 2010, six fishermen, Subeh ‘Abdul Salam al-Hissi, ‘Aadel ‘Abdul Karim Baker, Ramadan Isma’il al-Hissi, Fayez Ahmed al-Hissi and Ahmed Sha’ban al-Hissi returned back to Gaza the same day, but the family’s 19 meters fishing boat remains confiscated by Israel. Thirty families’ incomes, each counting six to seven members, are dependent on this boat.
At 6:30 am they left the port of Gaza with their wooden fishing boat heading towards the north of the Strip. Close to Beit Lahya, 1 to 1.5 miles off Gaza’s coastline, the boat was intercepted by two Israeli zodiacs, each containing approximately 20 soldiers. They boarded the boat, searched, cuffed and blindfolded the men, before obliging them to lay down on the wet surface of the ship. Fayez Ahmed al-Hissi (31) adds that he was hit on the head during the takeover of the ship. The eldest of the company, 59 year old Ahmed Sha’ban al-Hissi, was ordered to sail the boat into Ashdod’s harbor.
In Ashdod, soldiers instructed them to take the fishing net in, after which they were transferred to a docked Israeli gunboat. Plastic bags were put over the men’s heads making it hard for them to breathe, while they were shivering in their soaked clothes. One by one they were interrogated in a small room in the harbor, where the investigator showed a particular interest in Gaza’s harbor and the governmental support for fishermen who suffered damages during the last storm. The head officer, who introduced himself as Ghalid, claiming to be responsible for Al-Shati refugee camp, asked them to point out their houses on a detailed picture taken from the air and to give phone numbers of relatives and friends.
“I replied evasively to their questions, saying the pictures weren’t very clear and that I didn’t know any phone numbers by heart”, said Subeh ‘Abdul Salam al-Hissi (33).
The men could not grasp what they had done to end up there until Subeh’ asked: “Why are we here? Why did you take us from Gazan waters?” Ambiguously, the investigator returned the question by asking them whether they had not felt anything strange while sailing. Different media outlets quote an Israeli military spokesperson saying that the boat “dragged a suspicious object”. Earlier that morning, the men had responded to a call from fellow fishermen that had technical problems at sea. The boat was towed into Gaza’s marina after which the men headed towards northern Gaza, with a fishing net being the only thing the boat dragged.
“I hope we will get our boats back soon, maybe after a month”, says Ahmed Sha’ban al-Hissi hopefully. The wooden boat requires daily maintenance to protect it from water damage. “I asked them if someone could at least turn on the bilge pump each day to pump the water from the boat, but the officer simply stated that it was not his responsibility.”
“Since the siege, our income has come down from 700 dollars to less than 200 dollars a month per fisher. Israel refuses to allow fishing nets in, so we are dependent on the low quality nets from Egypt that come in through the tunnels. Spare parts for the boat are very scarce too. All that and the fishing area being depleted, results in a poor catch, while fish from Al Arish come in abundantly through the tunnels, obliging us to sell our fish at a low price”, says Ahmed Sha’ban al-Hissi.
“Now, I don’t know what to do. We are all waiting at home until our boat comes back.”
Legal background
Al Mazen Center for Human Rights states that between 1 May 2009 and 30 November 2010 the IOF carried out 53 attacks against fishermen: two men were killed, seven injured and 42 arrested, while 17 fishing boats were confiscated and one destroyed. These acts constitute flagrant violations of Israel’s obligations under international law as an occupying power. They violate the Fishermen’s rights to life, work, safety and bodily integrity. They also infringe upon the right not to be tortured and prevent them from maintaining an adequate standard of living.
The Oslo Accords allowed Gazan fishermen to fish in the Mediterranean sea up to 20 nautical miles away from Gaza’s shoreline, but since 1993 Israel has imposed successive restrictions on fishing, the limit for fishermen now stands at just 3 nautical miles since Israel imposed the siege on Gaza in 2007. This has severely reduced the quantity, quality and diversity of the catch. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, nearly 90% of Gaza’s 4000 fishermen are now considered either poor (with a monthly income of between 100 and 190 US dollars) or very poor (earning less than 100 dollars a month), up from 50% in 2008.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
PCHR weekly report 30/12/2010 - 5/1/2011: 4 fishermen abducted
extracts from PCHR weekly report 30/12/2010 - 5/1/2011:
IOF arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen and confiscated their boat.
Tuesday, 04 January 2011
At approximately 08:30, Israeli naval troops arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen who were on board of a fishing boat that was sailing nearly 4 kilometers away from Gaza beach. They also confiscated the boat. The fishermen were released at approximately 20:00. They are:
IOF arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen and confiscated their boat.
Tuesday, 04 January 2011
At approximately 08:30, Israeli naval troops arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen who were on board of a fishing boat that was sailing nearly 4 kilometers away from Gaza beach. They also confiscated the boat. The fishermen were released at approximately 20:00. They are:
- Mohammed 'Abdul Qader Baker;
- Ziad Mohammed Baker, 25;
- Mohammed Mahmoud Baker. 28;
- and Ra'ef Nabeel Baker, 25.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Israeli navy kidnaps Palestinian fishermen off Gaza port
| [ 04/01/2011 - 07:17 PM ] |
 |
| GAZA, (PIC)-- Israeli navy gunboats kidnapped a yet unspecified number of Palestinian fishermen who were fishing off the Gaza port on Tuesday morning, the Palestinian agriculture ministry said. The ministry's fisheries department said in a press release that the gunboats attacked the fishing boat and took away those on board, whose number could not be certified yet. It added that the fishing boat capsized. The ministry held the Israeli occupation authority fully responsible for the lives of those fishermen, and called on human rights groups and the Red Cross to immediately intervene to secure their release. Around 3,500 fishermen in Gaza Strip work on 700 fishing boats to provide sustenance for almost 70,000 people. They are systematically harassed by Israeli navy vessels. ------- Gaza fishermen detained from local waters GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- An unknown number of Gaza fishermen were detained Tuesday morning after being apprehended by Israeli warships off the coast of Gaza City. Gaza's Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement that fellow fishermen reported the detention, after seeing the boat of the men approached by Israeli vessels maintaining the sea blockade on Gaza. The boat was approached and the men were detained and taken to an unknown location, officials said. An Israeli military spokeswoman said that the boat had "deviated from the fishing area" and refused to halt when a naval ship called out ordering them to turn around. The craft was towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod and the men were taken for questioning, she said. The ministry said the lives of the fishermen were in the hands of Israel, and condemned their detention from Gaza waters, demanding their immediate release. Israel maintains a three nautical mile fishing limit, enforced unilaterally since 2008 when the country launched its war on the coastal enclave. Prior to the war, a unilaterally-declared six nautical mile limit was imposed following the election of the Hamas government in 2006. The last agreed upon fishing limit for Gaza was 20 nautical miles, signed off on during the Oslo accords in the 1990s. |
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