Israeli Gunboats Open Fire and Arrest Six Fishermen in North Gaza District

Al Mezan

29-11-2012

On Thursday 29 November 2012, Israeli naval vessels patrolling the Gaza sea opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the coast opposite Al Waha resort, northwest of Beit Lahiya, North Gaza.  According to Al Mezan’s field investigation, the IOF ships surrounded one Palestinian fishing boat, opened fire at it, before they forced six fishermen to take off their clothes and swim towards them. Al Mezan has identified the names of fishermen as follows:

• Ihab Jawad Baker, 36;
• Mohammed Ziyad Baker, 32;
• Ali Alaa’ Baker, 18;
• Fahed Ziyad Baker, 38;
• His sons Ziyad, 18; and Na’em 16.

Two hours later, the IOF released all detained fishermen and returned their boat to them after they had been damaged. In their affidavits to Al Mezan, fishermen in the area who witnessed the incident stated that the arrested fishermen were still within six nautical miles’ distance which they have been allowed to fish in following the last ceasefire agreement.

Israel's navy arrests 9 fishermen off Gaza coast

 

Palestinian fishermen ride in fishing boats at Gaza Seaport in Gaza
City November 25, 2012. (Reuters/Mohammed Salem)

 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained nine fishermen off Gaza's north coast on Wednesday, a local official said.

The head of Gaza's fishing association, Mahfouth al-Kabriti, told Ma'an that Israel's navy opened fire at two Palestinian fishing boats six miles off the coast.

The navy then seized both boats and detained nine fishermen, al-Kabriti added. The boats belong to Murad al-Hassi and the Baker family.

An Israeli army spokesman said that two fishing boats deviated from the designated fishing area and after failing to respond to calls to stop, were apprehended by Israel's navy.

The passengers were taken for questioning in the Israeli city of Ashdod, he added.

As part of a ceasefire to end Israel's recent eight-day war on Gaza, Israel agreed to allow fishermen to sail six nautical miles off the coast of Gaza instead of three, which had been the limit under Israel's siege

In the Oslo Accords, Israel agreed to a 20-nautical-mile fishing zone off Gaza's coast but it has imposed a 3-mile limit for several years, opening fire at fishermen who strayed further.

Israel has controlled Gaza waters since its occupation of the area in 1967, and has kept several warships stationed off the coast since 2008.

Hamas says fishing limit to extend under ceasefire deal

 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) – Egyptian, Israeli and Palestinian officials representing the Hamas-run government in Gaza will meet next Monday in Cairo to discuss the aftermath of the ceasefire agreement.

The Office of Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said he was informed by the director of Egyptian intelligence that Israel agreed to allow Gaza fishermen to go six nautical miles off the coast of Gaza instead of three, which has been the limit under Israel's siege.

"Israel has allowed Palestinian fishermen to fish in Gaza's waters at a distance of six miles, up from three miles," Haniyeh's office said.

Israel had no immediate comment.

Murad al-Issi, a member of a local fishermens' group, told Reuters his colleagues had already ventured out to the six-mile limit on Saturday, undisturbed by Israel.

"The Israeli army naval boat which used to fire and torch Palestinian boats that sailed beyond a three-mile distance watched without doing anything to prevent them," Issi said.

Palestinians say the Israeli restrictions had hampered the amount and variety of fish they could catch.

"This is a good step," Issi said, adding it would be best to be permitted double the distance.

In another apparent Israeli step to ease restrictions, Palestinian farmers tended land along the frontier with Israel without incident, a day after Israeli troops killed a Palestinian man at a border fence.

Gaza security officials were on patrol and Israeli soldiers looked on without interfering, but for a brief verbal exchange between one soldier and a Hamas guard, witnesses said.

Palestinians denounced Friday's shooting as a violation of the ceasefire and Egypt intervened to restore calm.

Haniyeh's office said in a statement that the border zone would also be addressed in Monday's meeting, among other things.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators agreed on a 20-nautical-mile fishing zone off Gaza's coast under the Oslo Accords, but Israel unilaterally imposes a 3-mile limit.

Israeli warships frequently open fire at boats that allegedly stray from the permitted area.

Israel has controlled Gaza waters since its occupation of the area in 1967, and has kept several warships stationed off the coast since 2008.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in the Gaza Sea

PCHR

Tuesday, 13 November 2012 00:00

Fact Sheet

Israeli Attacks on Fishermen in the Gaza Sea

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) documented 11 attacks launched by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) against Palestinian fishermen during the reporting period (01– 31 October 2012),[1] including incidents in which the IOF fired at fishermen and fishing boats and chased them, as a result of which 8 fishermen were arrested while fishing approximately 2 nautical miles[2] off the shore of Beit Lahia in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.  In addition, 2 fishing boats belonging to Palestinian fishermen were confiscated.

 

Violation of the Right to Life and Security of Person

Israel’s attacks against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, especially the right to life and security of the person, in accordance with Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the State of Israel is a party.  The IOF perpetrated violations against Palestinian fishermen in the sea when these fishermen did not pose any threat to Israeli naval troops.  The fishermen were practicing their right to work and seeking their livelihood within the territorial waters of the Gaza Strip when the IOF attacked them.

First: Firing at Fishing Boats in the Gaza Strip Waters

During the reporting period, PCHR documented 11 cases in which the IOF fired[3] at Palestinian fishermen in the sea off the Gaza shore, though no injuries were reported.  These attacks took place within the 3 nautical miles allowed for fishermen to sail and fish in.  PCHR also noticed that these firing incidents against fishermen and their boats took place while fishermen were seeking their livelihood, and in the context of imposing more restrictions to terrify and prevent the fishermen from practicing their work freely.

Second: Arresting Fishermen and Confiscating Fishing Boats

During the reporting period, PCHR documented incidents in which the IOF arrested 8 Palestinian fishermen, and confiscated 2 fishing boats and equipment.

Arresting Fishermen

During the reporting period, the IOF arrested 8 fishermen while they were carrying out their work 2 nautical miles offshore:

- At approximately 8:10 on Sunday, 07 October 2012, Israeli Naval Forces positioned off al-Waha resort northwest of Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, arrested 4 fishermen while they were fishing 2.5 nautical miles off the shore. The fishermen were identified as: Majed Fadel Baker (51), and his three sons Imran Majed Baker (27), Fadi Majed Baker (26) and Mohammad Majed Baker (20).  The 4 fishermen were released at approximately 16:00 on the same day at the Beit Hanoun Crossing (Erez), after being questioned.

- At approximately 10:00 on Monday, 22 October 2012, Israeli naval forces positioned off Al-Waha resort northwest of Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, chased and arrested 4 fishermen while they were fishing 2 nautical miles offshore.  The arrested men were identified as: Ramez Izat Baker (41), Khamis Sobhi Baker (43), Arafat Mohammad Baker (20) and Bayan Khamis Baker (17).

  

Confiscation of Fishing Boats

PCHR has followed up on Israel’s violations against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip Sea, particularly the confiscation of fishing boats.  During the reporting period, the IOF confiscated 2 fishing boats:

- On Sunday, 07 October 2012, Israeli Naval Forces chased and confiscated a fishing boat belonging to Majed Fadel Baker (51), a Palestinian fisherman from Gaza, while sailing approximately 2 nautical miles off the shore of Beit Lahia in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

- On Monday, 22 October 2012, Israeli Naval Forces chased and confiscated a fishing boat belonging to Ramez Izat Baker (41), a Palestinian fisherman from Gaza, while sailing 2 nautical miles offshore, opposite to the Beit Lahia seashore in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. 

Table of Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in the Gaza Sea

(01 October – 31 October 2012)

Month	Firing	Killed Persons	Injuries	Arrest Incidents	Number of Detainees	Confiscation of Fishing Boats
October	11	-	-	2	8	2

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[1] This fact sheet issued by PCHR is the tenth of its kind.  It addresses violations carried out by the IOF against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip while practicing their work.  For more details, see Fact Sheets at: www.pchrgaza.org.

[2] During the reporting period, PCHR documented the interception by Israeli naval forces of the Swedish ship, the ‘Estelle,’ which was carrying 30 international activists to the Gaza Strip under the auspices of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. For more information, see PCHR’s press release on 22 October 2012.

[3] This includes firing at a fishing boat boarding 3 international activists.  For more information, see PCHR’s press release on 05 November 2012.

PCHR Condemns IOF Assault on a Fishing Boat While Palestinian Fishermen and International Solidarity Activists Were on Board

PCHR

Monday, 05 November 2012 00:00

 Ref: 116/2012

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns IOF’s assault on a fishing boat boarded by Palestinian fishermen and international solidarity activists who were aiming to lift the siege by crossing the IOF imposed 3 nautical-mile limit on Palestinian fishermen since the past six years.

PCHR calls upon the international community to pressurize Israel to stop its continuous violations against Palestinian fishermen and the international activists in Gaza Sea and put an end to the illegal siege which has disastrous impacts on the fishermen such as their income decreasing by 85% because of the restricted fishing area. PCHR highly appreciates the brave decision of the solidarity activists to lift the illegal siege imposed on Gaza Sea which deprives Palestinian fishermen of their sole source of income.

At approximately 08:00 hrs on Sunday, 04 November 2012, a Palestinian fishing boat boarding five local fishermen and three international activists, identified as: Mano Pinida (Spanish), Rosa Schiano (Italian) and Sarah Kats (French), sailed off from the Gaza seaport. At approximately 09:30 hrs an IOF gunboat attacked the fishing boat with water cannons for approximately 45 minutes. As a result, the fishermen and activists were forced to move southward towards the al-Nussairat shore, in the center of Gaza Strip. At approximately 12:30 hrs, the Israeli gunboat attacked the Palestinian fishing boat again with water cannons for approximately 15 minutes. As a result the activists' cameras got damaged.

It should be noted that Israeli forces illegally reduced the area of fishing gradually from 20 nautical miles, which was established under the Oslo Accords, to 10 nautical miles in 2005. In June 2006, IOF imposed a total siege for months, and opened it later permitting fishermen to fish within a 6-nautical-mile limit, which was then reduced to 3 nautical miles in 2007.  However, Israeli forces continue to attack Palestinian fishermen even within the 3 nautical miles since 2009.  Fishermen are subjected to shootings, resulting in deaths and injuries, they are often chased, arrested, unnecessarily inspected, humiliated, and even their boats and fishing equipment are confiscated, which are sometimes drowned or destroyed by IOF.

PCHR condemns the continuous violations committed by the Israeli Naval Forces against Palestinian fishermen, and:

1- Calls upon the international community to pressurize Israel to stop its policy of closure, including the siege, imposed on the Gaza Strip for the past 6 years, and calls upon Israel to immediately stop its policy of chasing and arresting Palestinian fishermen, and to allow them to sail and fish freely;

2- Calls for compensating the victims for the physical and material damage caused to their person and property;

3- Expresses the Palestinian people’s high appreciation for the international solidarity activists and their determination to break the Israeli collective punishment measures imposed on Palestinian civilians, including the Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip, which violate the international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

Israeli navy fires at Palestinian fishing boats

[ 05/11/2012 - 10:24 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- Israeli navy boats opened heavy fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the coasts of Gaza and Rafah cities at dawn Monday, Quds Press reported. It said that the fishermen abandoned their boats and returned back to the shore without finishing their work. The Israeli navy had tightened its restrictions on Palestinian fishermen since 2000 and by 2009 the navy deprived fishermen from their right to fish more than three nautical miles off the Gaza Strip’s coast while the Oslo accords allowed them fishing up to 20 nautical miles.

Israeli navy kidnaps Palestinian fisherman

[ 03/11/2012 - 08:20 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- Israeli navy forces kidnapped a Palestinian fisherman after attacking his boat off the coast of Gaza at dawn Saturday, local sources said. Sources in the fishermen syndicate told the PIC that Israeli gunboats fired at and chased Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Gaza. They said that the gunboats kidnapped a fisherman on board one of those fishing boats after controlling it. The Israeli navy systematically targets Palestinian fishermen while working at sea. The navy often fires at the fishing boats, confiscate them, and arrest those on board.