90% of Gaza fishermen out of work

[ 11/10/2013 - 07:55 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- The head of the fishermen’s union in the Gaza Strip, Nizar Ayyash, said that only 10% of Gaza's fishermen are working (370 out of 3700 fishermen) as a result of the blockade on the Strip by the Israeli occupation and Egyptian restrictions on the southern side of the border. In a speech during a sit in, organized Thursday by the national committee for ending the siege at the Gaza fishing port, Ayyash talked about Israeli occupation's systematic attacks on Palestinian fishermen in Gaza Sea. “With the ongoing restrictions on the fishing sector, Gaza's fishermen live a very difficult economic situation, lack of income and suffering because of the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip." Ayyash called on human rights organizations to intervene and protect Palestinian fishermen against Israeli occupation forces’ violations. He also condemned the Egyptian Navy’s detention of five Palestinian fishermen because they were fishing close to Egyptian national waters, adding: "We never expected an Egyptian court would sentence the fishermen to one year imprisonment as well as a fine of 600 Egyptian Pounds."