PCHR weekly report 9/2 - 15/2/2012: 5 fishermen abducted, 3 boats stolen, boat hit by gunfire, nets lost

extract from PCHR weekly report 9/2 - 15/2/2012

IOF have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip. 
IOF arrested 5 fishermen, including a child.
IOF confiscated 3 fishing boats. 

Sunday, 12 February 2012 

At approximately 19:00, IOF positioned at sea off al-Waha resort in the north of the Gaza Strip arrested two Palestinian fishermen who were sailing a boat 2 miles of the shore.  The arrested fishermen are Adham Mahmoud Abu Reyala, 22, and his brother Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Reyala, 13, from al-Shati refugee camp.

Monday, 13 February 2012  

At approximately 07:10, IOF gunboats positioned of al-Waha resort, northwest of Beit Lahia in the north of the Gaza Strip, opened extensive fire at Palestinian fishing boats.  Then they surrounded the two boats driven by Jamal Ramadan Hassan al-Sultan, 60, and his son Fadel, 22, from al-Salatin neighborhood in Beit Lahia.  The two fishermen were sailing 500 meters from the shore.  IOF arrested al-Sultan and his son and transferred them by a military boat to Ashdod Port.  IOF also confiscated al-Sultan's boats. 

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

At approximately 06:30, IOF gunboats positioned off al-Waha resort, northwest of Beit Lahia in the north of the Gaza Strip, opened extensive fire at Palestinian fishing boats.  They surrounded a Palestinian fishing boat driven by Ahmed Mohammed Mohammed Zayed, 28, from al-Salatin neighborhood in Beit Lahia.  Ahmed was only 400 meters from the shore.  IOF forced Ahmed to take his clothes off, jump into the water and swim to their gunboat.  They tied the fishing boat to the gunboat and confiscated it.  They transferred Ahmed to Ashdod Port in Israel. Ahmed has not been released yet.

Mahmoud is Ahmed's brother. He reported that he left home with Ahmed at approximately 04:00 on the same day.  They walked till they arrived at the fishermen's room on the shore, north of al-Waha resort.  At approximately 05:45, they took 2 fishing boats and sailed with many other fishermen.  When Mohammed was 350 meters from the shore and when Ahmed was 500 meters from the shore, they threw the fishing nets.  They started to withdraw the nets at approximately 06:15.  In the meanwhile, they saw two Israeli gunboats coming from the north to them.  Mohammed and Ahmed withdrew their nets rapidly and started sailing to the shore.  The gunboats were firing as they were coming closer to Palestinian fishing boats.  Mohammed was 150 meters far from the shore when he looked behind him.  He found out that the two gunboats were two close from his brother Ahmed who was 400 meters from the shore.  When Mohammed arrived at the shore, he saw Ahmed taking his clothes off, jumping into the sea and swimming to one of the gunboats.  The gunboats were only 10 meters to the north of Ahmed's boat.  The soldiers on the gunboats then tied Ahmed's boat to one of the gunboats and withdraw it to the north.  It should be noted that this is the season for the catch of sardine and this season is of significant importance to Palestinian fishermen.  Israeli violations of this kind deny Palestinian fishermen access to their main source of income. 

 At approximately 19:00, IOF opened fire at Palestinian fishermen sailing 1,500 meters off al-Soudaneya area, north of Gaza City.   The fishermen were forced to sail 5,000 meters to the south and wait in the sea till the morning of the following day when they sailed back to look for their nets.  They were unable to find the nets and IOF fired at them every time they went to look for these nets.  It should be noted that IOF confiscated 5 fishing nets and tore 700 meters of fishing nets belonging to Subhi Ibrahim Kamel Abdo, 32, a fisherman from al-Nuseirat. Also a fishing boat belonging to a member of the Bakr family was hit by bullets fired by IOF.