11-9-2011
At approximately 7:00 am on Sunday 11 September 2011, Israeli naval vessels patrolling the Gaza sea opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats which were in the waters off the coastline of the As-Sudaniya area, near Jabaliya in North Gaza district.
According to Al Mezan’s field investigations, the Israeli vessels moved towards two of the fishing boats and surrounded them. Eight fishermen who were on board the boats were arrested. The Israeli Occupation Forces took the men and their boats northwards, presumably to Ashdod harbor. Al Mezan has identified their names as follows:
· Hasan Khader Baker, 53, and his sons Khader, 29, Ja’far, 27, and Mohammed, 21;
· ‘Adnan Nasser Fadel Baker, 16;
· Khalil Jawhar Baker, 21;
· Mohammed Majed Baker, 19; and
· Mohammed Suhail Baker, 17.
The fishermen are residents of Ash-Shati’ refugee camp.
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Israeli forces detain 8 fishermen off Gaza coast
Published today (updated) 11/09/2011 16:47
Palestinian fisherman work on their boats in the port off Gaza City, Nov. 8, 2008
[MaanImages/Hatem Omar]
[MaanImages/Hatem Omar]
Locals said Israeli naval boats surrounded a fishing boat belonging to the Baker family near As-Sudanyeh, north of Gaza City and detained eight people on board.
Those detained were identified as Hassan Khader Baker, his sons Khader, Jafar and Muhammad and their relatives Allam, Suheil and Muhammad.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said the fishermen deviated from the fishing area and failed to respond to Israeli naval orders to turn around.
She said the fishermen were detained and taken for security questioning.
The sea off Gaza has been mostly off limits since June 2006 when Israel imposed a tight blockade on the territory after militants there captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who is still being held.
The blockade was tightened a year later when Hamas seized control of the territory, ousting forces loyal to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
Israeli military ships patrol Gaza's Mediterranean shore, enforcing a unilaterally-imposed 3-mile fishing limit and blockade on the strip.
The last negotiated fishing limit for Gaza was 20 nautical miles, agreed on during the Oslo accords in the early 1990s.
