Why the mullet, not the Israel Navy, are to blame for the death of a Gaza fisherman

Haaretz

Israel allows fishermen to sail only to a distance of three nautical miles off the Gaza shore, instead of 20, as specified in the Oslo Accords. But the fish have the chutzpah not to take this restriction into account.

By Amira Hass | Oct.29, 2012 | 4:09 AM 

Gazans collecting their catch off the coast. Photo by AP

 

Amira Hass

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Once again there was saber-rattling, and the inbox was filled with boasts by armed organizations about their part in last week's escalation. And this is an opening that is meant to lead at least some of the readers to Fahmi Abu Riash.

"The Mujahideen Brigades, the military arm of the Mujahideen movement," reported that they had launched two 107-mm. rockets, "as part of the natural response to the enemy's crimes against our people and its ongoing belligerence against the Gaza Strip."

The National Resistance Brigades of the Democratic Front also boast of two 107-mm. missiles and even call on all the military arms "to establish a joint [operations] room to discuss the nature of the response to the crimes of the occupation."

The spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees said, according to one of the emails, that the blessed shelling by the committees indicates "the willingness of its heroic fighters to repulse the Zionist enemy and to respond in a painful manner."

And who else is responding? The Israel Defense Forces, of course. "The IDF spokesman says that forces from the armored corps and the Air Force attacked terror targets in the Gaza Strip this morning ... The attacks are a response to the steep-trajectory firing at the territory of the State of Israel."

The firing itself was a response to several short invasions into areas of the Strip, the sweeping away of agricultural land and the killing of armed Palestinians. And some of the attacks came in response to the detonating of an explosive device that was aimed at another group of armed men - this time Israeli soldiers. Even if the IDF spokesman failed to disclose their precise location, the Palestinian reports indicate that the soldiers were inside the area of the Strip. In short, every attack is a response to a previous response/attack by the other side, and vice versa, and so on and so forth.

A summary of last week: Seven armed Palestinians dead, eight Palestinians wounded; a soldier and three civilians (actually migrant workers ) wounded.

OCHA (the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Activities ) reports a ninth Palestinian casualty: a resident of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip who was hit by a Palestinian rocket. These are always the hidden victims, who are underreported.

And not only they. Fahmi Abu Riash is also erased - as though he never existed - from the balance of attack and response and from Israeli reports that have fallen hostage to the IDF.

And this was the reply of the omniscient narrator - the IDF spokesman in this case - to my question about the circumstances of the killing of Abu Riash on September 28: "In the event under discussion a number of suspicious people were identified near the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip. It should be noted that approaching the fence is often exploited for planting explosive devices, gathering intelligence information and attempts to attack Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. In light of all the circumstances of the incident, an IDF force began to implement the procedure for detaining a suspicious person and called on them to stop. When they didn't do so they were shot in the legs, which led to an injury."

Abu Riash of Beit Lahia was a fisherman, 22 years old, married to Fatma, father of 16-month-old Saleh. From the standard response of the IDF spokesman (in the style of "copy and paste" ) we can conclude that the "suspicious figures" were walking on foot to the border fence. Maybe they were also hiding suspicious objects in their bags. But that is not the case. When he was shot, Abu Riash was standing in the water, about five meters from the beach. That Friday morning he went out with his brother and cousin to fish for mullet, which swim in schools near the beach. That's why "we didn't go out in boats," explained the cousin, Yousef Ziad, adding a few details to the "overall circumstances." "We entered the water almost naked, we cast the nets. We were a few meters from the beach. And it's true, not far from the border, a few dozen meters from the fence that continues into the water. We started out further away (from the fence) and advanced with the movement of the fish."

And additional details omitted from the "overall circumstances": Israel allows the Gaza fisherman to sail only to a distance of three nautical miles (instead of 20, as specified in the Oslo Accords). The fish have the chutzpah not to take into account this restriction, for the most part. That's why the proximity of the mullet to the beach is a welcome opportunity for earning money. Every week, in a routine that the omniscient narrator ignores in his routine reports, the soldiers of the Israeli Navy fire on Palestinian fishermen (still within the three-mile limit) and sometimes detain them and transfer them for a minor interrogation at the Shin Bet security service's offices in Ashdod (only last week four were detained), in an attempt to gather intelligence information.

Due to the shooting, the routine of instilling fear and the restriction of maritime space, the fishing industry has shrunk greatly and many have joined the army of the unemployed (28.4 percent in the Strip, according to the World Bank ) and to families suffering from food uncertainty (52 percent according to the United Nations ).

The omniscient narrator did not reply to Haaretz's question regarding the location of the soldiers who killed Abu Riash. But neither did he deny the evidence that the firing came from inside the area of the Strip. Ziad said that the soldiers who fired spread out on a hill south of the border, a short distance from the fishermen, with their faces painted black and armed with long rifles and communications devices. When armed and unarmed Palestinians cross this fence they are called infiltrators. Their fate - being killed or detained - is considered legitimate and not worthy of monitoring or questioning.

There were eight or nine soldiers there, recalls Ziad. He and his brother got out of the water when they saw them. Did they warn them before shooting, I asked. "What they said was unclear. They shouted something, then immediately fired," said Yousef Ziad in a phone conversation. "The first bullet hit the water or the sand, but there was a very strong explosion and I thought it was a grenade."

Fahmi shouted, wounded. His brother Yousef Abu Riash started to carry him out of the water while shouting to the others to bring help quickly. And then the soldiers fired again, and Yousef was wounded in his hands and feet. He managed to drag Fahmi a few more meters, and then fainted. Yousef suffers from partial paralysis and the shrapnel still has not been removed from his body, as reported by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights. His brother Fahmi died on the operating table: The bullets had destroyed his internal organs.

In the Strip they call such bullets "dum-dum" bullets (whose use is prohibited ). But military sources reassured Haaretz: "The firing was carried out in accordance with the permanent orders for opening fire in the sector, and there was no use of 'dum dum' bullets in this incident."

And an anonymous soldier from an elite commando group, who stands above any criticism and question, can wave his rifle barrel and boast of another hit.

Occupied Lives: There was no reason for my son’s death

PCHR

Wednesday, 24 October 2012 00:00

 

Fahmi’s wife, son, brother and mother at their home in Salatin area

 

On 28 September 2012, Israel’s forces shot and killed Fahmi Abu Riash (22), a Palestinian fisherman, and wounded his brother Youssef (19), while they and a group of other fishermen were pulling out their fishing nets a few meters from the shore in the northern Gaza Strip.  According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), an Israeli infantry unit crossed the northwestern border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, and moved nearly 20 meters into Palestinian territory, along the beach area of the northwestern town of Beit Lahia.  Israeli soldiers took position behind a hill at the beach, facing a number of Palestinian fishermen who were fishing a few meters offshore, and opened fire at the fishermen.  The majority of the fishermen were able to flee.  However, two fishermen, who were located nearly 15 meters away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, were unable to escape.  According to fishermen present in the area, Israeli soldiers fired directly at the two fishermen, wounding them.  One of the men, Fahmi Abu Riash, died of his wounds later on the same day. 

Fahmi’s brother, Youssef, was also shot.  He gives the following account: “We left the house at around 5am and went down to the sea.  I was with my 2 brothers, Fahmi and Ahmed, and 2 of my cousins.  We were not out on a boat that day.  We just had our nets and we were fishing near the shore.  It was at around 9.30am, when I heard someone screaming.  I then realized that it was my brother, Fahmi, and he had been shot in his left leg.  I remember seeing about 10 soldiers standing on an elevated piece of land and there were many more mobilized behind them.  I rushed to help Fahmi and started shouting for help from the other fishermen on the shore.  I carried my brother, and then they shot at us again.  They were firing from behind and I also got hit on my arms and legs.  I carried Fahmi, and then walked about 30 meters before I fainted.”

The fishermen on the shore called an ambulance and the 2 brothers were rushed to Kamal Adwan Hospital.  Youssef had sustained several injuries but was in a stable condition.  He recalls: “When I finally came to, I was in hospital.  I was treated for my wounds and discharged. I had been shot in the left arm and I developed partial paralysis as a result of damage to my nervous system.  I also had shrapnel lodged in my arms and legs.  Some of the shrapnel was removed but some of it requires surgery.”  Youssef’s brother Fahmi, however, died of his injuries some hours later.

As she remembers the incident, Mariam recounts what had become a tradition for the family.  Most days, from 11am until 6pm, she used to accompany them to the beach and make them lunch as they worked: “On that day, I did not go with them.  I was at home making them lunch when the incident happened.  My sister came and told me that Fahmi and Youssef had been taken to Kamal Adwan Hospital and I rushed there.  I never expected this to happen.  I would have never sent my sons to fish if I had known it was dangerous.  We used to go to that same place all the time and the soldiers used to watch us.  My whole family used to swim, cook and have fun there over the weekends.  They knew who we were.  I never let my sons go beyond the fence.  I would never put my children in danger.  It was normal to fish there and there had never been any threat, yet on that day they decided to shoot at my sons for no reason.”

Fahmi’s mother, Mariam Abu Riash

The Abu Riaj family was fully dependent on fishing as a means of income before the death of Fahmi.  Since the attack, the family is facing hard times financially, as Marjam explains: “Fishing was the only thing sustaining my family.  It is the only thing my sons knew how to do.  Fahmi had been fishing since he was 10 years old.  He had been arrested twice by the Israeli Forces while he was fishing and released at Erez on the same day.  They only used to question him and release him afterwards.  My sons had a boat but it was damaged in a previous incident and can no longer be used.  Now Fahmi is dead, Youssef is wounded and I will not send Ahmed back there to be killed.  My husband was injured in the First Intifada and he is in no condition to work.  Ahmed has now taken up temporary work at a construction site and his income is what the family is living on.  Fahmi was the first born son and he was responsible for the family.  We do not know what to do without him.”

The death of Fahmi has been particularly hard for his mother.  She goes quiet then breaks down in tears as she speaks of him: “My son was so close to my heart and they killed him.  Everything was destroyed by his death.  I was proud of how good he was at sports, such as volleyball, football and swimming.  He always promised me that when he got enough money, he would take me to have surgery to correct a problem with my eyes.  He had only been married for two years and he has left behind a 1-year-old son.  This little child lost his father and he will never know how it feels to have one.  Fahmi’s wife is still young, only 22.  She stays at home mourning her husband.  What does the future hold for her?  All my hope in life is lost.  I do not know how to move on without my son.  In the past, we were a bit hopeful that everything would be okay but now we know that nothing is ever going to change.  The Israeli occupation is full of liars and criminals.  They claimed that Fahmi had gone beyond the border fence.  I never allowed my sons to do that.  They have never done that.  There was no reason for my son’s death.”

The targeting and killing of a civilian, a protected person, is a war crime, as codified in Articles 8(2)(a)(i) and 8(2)(b)(i) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.  Similarly, under Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the destruction of private property is prohibited unless rendered absolutely necessary by military operations. 

In addition, the destruction of fishing equipment such as boats, which are private property, results in Palestinians being unable to use the property necessary for the production of food, violating numerous human rights provisions, including the right to adequate food contained in Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.  Israel’s actions against the fishermen is also a violation of their right to an adequate standard of living, as codified in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Israeli forces arrest 4 Gaza fishermen

 

Under Israel's maritime blockade, Palestinians are forbidden from
fishing more than three nautical miles from the coast.

 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces arrested four Gaza fishermen on Monday and took them to an unknown destination, Gaza's ministry of agriculture said.

Ramez Izzat Baker, Khamis Subhi Baker, Bayan Subhi Baker, and Omar Muhammad Baker were detained while fishing off the coast near Gaza City.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said navy forces detained the fishermen for questioning because they deviated from the designated fishing area. Warning shots were also fired in the air, she added.

Under Israel's maritime blockade, Palestinians are forbidden from fishing more than three nautical miles from the coast. During the Oslo accords negotiators had agreed on 20 nautical miles of fishing access along Gaza's coastline.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights condemned the escalation in attacks on Gaza fishermen.

Eid Mohssen Eid Baker, who witnessed Monday's attack. told PCHR that an Israeli gunboat had shot randomly at his cousin's boat.

"One of the soldiers ordered us to stop, but we kept sailing south in escape of the open fire. My cousin Ramez Baker’s boat suddenly stopped after a bullet hit the boat engine, and the Israeli gunboat approached it, to a distance of nearly 30 meters.

"I saw the four fishermen, Ramez, Arafat, Khamis and his son Bayan, take off their clothes, jump in the water amidst the continuous shooting, and swim towards the Israeli gunboat. The soldiers confiscated the fishermen's boat and transported it towards the northern side," he said.

PCHR says Palestinian fishermen have lost 85 percent of their income because they are prevented from reaching areas where fish are abundant.

"Sometimes, Israeli forces also chase fishermen within the 3 nautical mile area," the Gaza-based rights group said in a statement.

"PCHR believes that these violations are committed in the context of a policy of collective punishment against civilians, and that they are aimed at preventing civilians from meeting their subsistence needs. Such actions are prohibited under international humanitarian and international human rights law."

'No reason' to shoot Gaza fisherman, family says

Fahmi Abu Riash's wife, son, brother and mother pictured at their home
in northern Gaza. (MaanImages/PCHR, HO)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The family of a 22-year-old fisherman killed by Israeli forces says soldiers had no reason to kill him.

Fahmi Abu Riash, father of a one-year-old son, was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers while fishing at the beach in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza in late September. His brother Youssef was shot and wounded.

Their mother, Mariam, told the Palestinian Center for Human Rights that the family frequently fished in the area, and she usually accompanied them to make them lunch at the beach.

"We used to go to that same place all the time and the soldiers used to watch us. My whole family used to swim, cook and have fun there over the weekends. They knew who we were. I never let my sons go beyond the fence. I would never put my children in danger. It was normal to fish there and there had never been any threat, yet on that day they decided to shoot at my sons for no reason."

Fahmi had been fishing since the age of 10. On Sept. 28, he was fishing meters from the shore in the northern Gaza Strip when Israeli soldiers entered the enclave and stationed themselves behind a hill at the beach before opening fire at fishermen.

"The majority of the fishermen were able to flee. However, two fishermen, who were located nearly 15 meters away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, were unable to escape. According to fishermen present in the area, Israeli soldiers fired directly at the two fishermen, wounding them," PCHR says.

Fahmi's brother Youssef recounted the day to PCHR.

"I remember seeing about 10 soldiers standing on an elevated piece of land and there were many more mobilized behind them. I rushed to help Fahmi and started shouting for help from the other fishermen on the shore. I carried my brother, and then they shot at us again. They were firing from behind and I also got hit on my arms and legs. I carried Fahmi, and then walked about 30 meters before I fainted."

Fahmi died in Kamal Adwan Hospital and Youssef sustained partial paralysis and needs surgery to remove shrapnel from his body.

Mariam says she has no hope for the future.

"My son was so close to my heart and they killed him. Everything was destroyed by his death. I was proud of how good he was at sports, such as volleyball, football and swimming. He always promised me that when he got enough money, he would take me to have surgery to correct a problem with my eyes. He had only been married for two years and he has left behind a 1-year-old son.

"This little child lost his father and he will never know how it feels to have one. Fahmi’s wife is still young, only 22. She stays at home mourning her husband. What does the future hold for her? All my hope in life is lost. I do not know how to move on without my son. In the past, we were a bit hopeful that everything would be okay but now we know that nothing is ever going to change."

Photos of Shaheed Fahmi Salah Abu Rayas Funeral

Occupied Palestine

Photo by Palestinian Media Centre

Photo by Palestinian Media Centre

Photo by Palestinian Media Centre

Photo by Palestinian Media Centre

Photo by Palestinian Media Centre

Photo by Palestinian Media Centre

Photo by Palestinian Media Centre

Photo by Palestinian Media Centre

Photo by Palestinian Media Centre

Photo by Palestinian Media Centre 

Fisherman Killed and Brother Wounded by Israel’s Forces;PCHR Condemns Continued Israeli Attacks against Palestinian Fishermen in Gaza Sea

PCHR

Sunday, 30 September 2012 00:00

Ref: 103/2012

On Friday, 28 September 2012, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian fisherman and wounded his brother, while they and a group of other fishermen were located a few meters from the shore in the northern Gaza Strip, pulling out their fishing nets. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns continued attacks by Israel’s forces against Palestinian fishermen in Gaza City, and expresses deep concern about the recent escalation of such attacks, in violation of fishermen’s right to life and work freely in Gaza Sea.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 09:30 on Friday, 28 September 2012, an Israeli infantry unit crossed the northwestern border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, and moved nearly 20 meters into Palestinian territory, along the beach area of the northwestern town of Beit Lahia. Israeli soldiers took position behind a hill at the beach, facing onto a number of Palestinian fishermen who were fishing a few meters offshore. Israeli soldiers fired at the fishermen. The majority of the fishermen were able to flee. However, two fishermen, who were located nearly 15 meters away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, were unable to escape.

According to fishermen present in the area, Israeli soldiers fired directly at the two fishermen, wounding them. The two fishermen were identified as Fahmi Saleh Fahmi Abu Riash (22), who was wounded in the lower abdomen and thigh, and his brother Yousef (19), who was wounded by bullet shrapnel to the left hand. Nearby fishermen were later able to evacuate the two wounded men and carry them to a Palestinian Civil Defense ambulance, which was waiting nearly 350 meters away from the location of the incident. The ambulance transported the two wounded fishermen to Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia.

According to the forensic report issued by Kamal Edwan Hospital, the two wounded fishermen were brought to the hospital at 10:55. Fahmi Abu Riash had been wounded by a bullet to the left thigh and another bullet to the left buttock that settled in the pelvis, causing an acute hemorrhage in the lower part of the abdomen. His brother, Yousef, was wounded by bullet shrapnel to the left hand. He received treatment and was released from the hospital in the afternoon. At approximately 15:30 on the same day, Fahmi Abu Riash was taken to the operation room, where he underwent a two-hour surgery. He was then taken to the intensive care unit, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 22:30.

In his testimony to PCHR, Yousef Mohammed Zayed (19), a fisherman from Beit Lahia, stated to PCHR:

“At approximately 05:00 on Friday, 28 September 2012, my brother Haitham, my cousins, Fahmi and Yousef Ahmed Saleh Abu Riash, and I went fishing opposite to Beit Lahia beach in the northern Gaza Strip. We started fishing nearly 70 meters away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. When the sun rose, we got as close as 15 meters to the border because fish was extensively available in the area. At approximately 09:30, I heard intensive shooting in the area. I looked back and saw about 9 Israeli soldiers atop a hill that is nearly 20 meters to the east of the beach. Immediately, Haitham, my cousin Ahmed, and I ran away and took shelter behind a hill, while Fahmi and Yousef remained stuck only 5 meters from the beach. Israeli soldiers shouted at them, and I saw my cousin Fahmi attempting to escape, but an Israeli soldier fired at him. He was wounded by a bullet to the left thigh. His brother Yousef attempted to offer him help, but he was also wounded by bullet shrapnel to the left hand. I saw Fahmi trying to stand up and escape, but an Israeli soldier fired at him again. Soon, some fishermen headed towards the two wounded fishermen and carried them to an ambulance of the Civil Defense, which transported them to Kamal Edwan Hospital. At approximately 22:30, Fahmi Saleh Abu Riash was pronounced dead.”

It should be noted that Israel’s forces have imposed restrictions on fishermen at sea. In 2009, they reduced the area allowed for fishing in Gaza waters from the 20 nautical miles provided for in the Oslo Accords to 3 nautical miles. Israel’s forces also prevent Palestinian fishermen from fishing within 1 nautical mile of the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, although this area is under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.

PCHR condemns this latest crime and is concerned that it signifies a new escalation in the systematic human rights violations perpetrated by Israel’s forces against Palestinian fishermen. PCHR believes that these attacks form part of the collective punishment measures imposed on Palestinian civilians, as they deny Palestinian fishermen access to their livelihood, in violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law. PCHR believes that targeting these two civilian fishermen from very close range constitutes a form of excessive use of force; the Israeli soldiers could have taken alternative actions against the fishermen, such as arrest, as they did not pose any threat to the lives of Israeli soldiers.

PCHR calls upon Israel:

1. To put an end to attacks against Palestinian fishermen in violation of their rights to life, safety, and security, and to allow them to fish freely in Gaza Sea;

2. To investigate the facts of this close-range attack against civilian fishermen, publish the results of such an investigation, and prosecute the Israeli soldiers who fired at two civilian fishermen, although the latter did not pose any threat to the lives of those soldiers;

3. To immediately put an end to its policy of chasing and arresting Palestinian fishermen at sea, and to return confiscated fishing boats and equipment;

4. To compensate the victims for the physical and material damage caused their person and property; and

5. To lift the naval blockade, which constitutes a form of collective punishment and is a war crime under international humanitarian law.

Israel detains 4 fishermen off Gaza coast

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces detained four men fishing off the northern Gaza shore on Sunday morning.

Head of Gaza's fishing association Mahfouth al-Kabriti said gunboats seized Majed Fadel Baker, and his three sons Omran 26, Fadi 23, and Muhammad, 19, while they were on a fishing trip.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said the boat breached the designated fishing zone and did not respond to warning shots by the Israeli navy.

The boat was taken to Israeli port Ashdod and the men are being held for security questioning, she said.

Under Israel's maritime blockade, Palestinians are forbidden from fishing more than three nautical miles from the coast.

A week ago, 22-year-old fisherman Fahmi Salah Abu Rayash died after he was shot by Israeli snipers stationed near the shore, Hamas officials said.

---------

Four Fishermen Arrested and a Fishing Boat Confiscated, PCHR Condemns Continued Israeli Violations Against Palestinian Fishermen in the Gaza Strip  

PCHR

Monday, 08 October 2012 00:00

Ref: 106/2012 

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns continued Israeli violations against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip, and is concerned about the escalation of these violations, which have resulted in the arrest of four fishermen and the confiscation of a fishing boat belonging to a fisherman from the Gaza Strip.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 8:10 on Sunday, 07 October 2012, Israeli Naval Forces positioned off Al-Waha resort northwest of Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, arrested four fishermen while they were fishing 2.5 nautical miles off the shore. IOF chased a fishing boat belonging to a fisherman Majed Fadel Baker (51), who was sailing with his three sons Imran (27), Fadi (26), and Mohammad Majed Baker (20). IOF surrounded and stopped the Palestinian boat, forced the four fishermen to take their clothes off, jump into the water, and swim to the Israeli gunboat. They arrested the fishermen, handcuffed and blindfolded them, and then transported them to Israeli waters, towing the boat with them. The four fishermen were released at approximately 16:00 on the same day via Beit Hanoun Crossing (Erez), after being questioned.

In his testimony to a PCHR field worker Majed Fadel Baker (51), from northern Rimal neighborhood in Gaza city, states:

"At 5:00 on Sunday, 07 October 2012, I sailed with my three sons in my boat towards Al-Sodaniya area where we reached 2.5 nautical miles off Al-Waha shore, northern Gaza Strip. At 8:00, two Israeli gunboats approached us at a distance of nearly 50 meters, with 10 soldiers on board. One of the soldiers ordered us to stop, take our clothes off, jump in the water, and swim towards them. We did as we were told, and swam towards an Israeli gunboat. The soldiers handcuffed us with metal chains, blindfolded us and strapped us to one of the gunboat's steel pillars. We reached Ashdod seaport and were questioned until 15:30. We were then handcuffed, blindfolded again, and transported by an Israeli vehicle to Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing, where we were released at 16:00. IOF confiscated my boat and my fishing equipment."

Israeli violations committed by the Israeli Naval Forces against the Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip's waters have escalated since the beginning of this year. PCHR documented 166 violations against fishermen in the Gaza Strip between the beginning of 2012 and late September, including 77 shooting incidents which led to the killing of a fisherman and wounding another. These violations also resulted in the arrest of 45 fishermen in 17 arrest incidents, as well as the confiscation of 19 fishing boats and the destruction of fishing tools and equipment in 8 different incidents.

It should be noted that Israeli forces have recently imposed more restrictions on the work of fishermen in the Gaza Strip. Since 2000, fishermen have been denied their right to sail and fish. Israeli forces reduced the area of fishing from 20 nautical miles, which was established upon in the agreements signed between Palestinians and Israel, to 6 nautical miles in 2008. However, Israeli forces have continued to prevent fishermen from going beyond 3 nautical miles since 2009. As a result, fishermen are prevented from reaching areas beyond that distance where fish is abundant. Sometimes, Israeli forces also chase fishermen within the 3 nautical mile area. Consequently, Palestinian fishermen have lost 85% of their source of income, because of the limiting the fishing area. 

In light of the above, PCHR condemns the recent violations committed by the Israeli Naval Forces against Palestinian fishermen. PCHR believes that these violations are committed in the context of the escalating collective punishment policies against civilians, and that they are part of the policy that seeks to prevent civilians from meeting their subsistence needs, which is prohibited under international humanitarian and human rights law. PCHR calls upon the IOF to:

1- Immediately stop its policy of chasing and arresting Palestinian fishermen, to allow them to sail and fish freely, and to return confiscated fishing boats and tools;

2- Pay compensation to the victims of Israel’s violations for the physical and material damage caused to fishermen and their property;

3- Return the confiscated boats to their owners immediately, and compensate them for any damages caused by the confining these boats for a long period of time or any other damage that might have been caused.