Israeli Attacks on Fishermen in the Gaza Sea

PCHR

Thursday, 08 October 2015 00:00

Israeli Naval forces continued to carry out attacks on Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip during the reporting period (01-30 September 2015), including 7 shooting incidents that resulted in wounding a child accompanying his father on Beit Lahia shore. Moreover, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) documented 3 shelling incidents by Israeli gunboats and a crash incident due to which fishing boat was drowned.

The Israeli naval forces did not comply with the ceasefire agreement concluded between Israel and Palestinian armed groups under Egyptian auspices on 26 August 2014.  This agreement includes allowing Palestinian fishermen to sail within 6 nautical miles in the Gaza Sea.  According to PCHR's investigations, all attacks took place within the distance of 6 nautical miles, which proves that Israeli forces' policies aim to tighten restrictions on the Gaza Strip's fishermen and their livelihoods.

Violations of the International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law

Israel’s attacks against Palestinian fishermen, who do not pose any threat to Israeli soldiers, in the Gaza Strip constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, relevant to the protection of the civilian population and respect for its rights, including every person's right to work, and the right to life, liberty and security of person, as codified in Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), despite the fact that Israel is a State Party to the Covenant.  Furthermore, these attacks occurred in a time where the fishers did not pose any threat to the Israeli naval troops, as they were doing their job to secure a living.  Israeli violations in the reporting period were as follows:

  

First: Shooting Incidents

During the reporting period, PCHR documented 7 shooting incidents and 3 shelling ones.  The shooting incidents took place within the allowed fishing area as follows: the northern Gaza Strip and Khan Yunis. One of the shooting incidents led to injuring a child while he was accompanying his father on Beit Lahia shore.

Second: A child wounded adjacent to northern Gaza Strip shore.

- At approximately 18:00, 03 September 2015, Israeli forces stationed inside the watchtowers adjacent to al-Seyafa area, northwest of Beit Lahia village, north of the Gaza Strip, opened fire at a group of fishermen who were angling in the vicinity of the border fence. As a result, Belal Omer Yousef Abu Amr, 10, from al-Manshiya area in Beit Lahia village, sustained a bullet wound to the right thigh while he was accompanying his father, who was angling 50 meters away from the border fence.  Abu Amr was taken to Kmal 'Edwan Hospital to receive medical treatment, where a medical source stated that his wound was moderate.    

Third: Damaging Fishing Equipment

- At approximately 19:30 on 26 September 2015, an Israeli gunboat collided with a fishing boat that was sailing within 3 nautical miles off Khan Yunis shore. 

Foaad al-'Amoudy, head of the Fishermen Syndicate, said to PCHR's fieldworker that an Israeli gunboat approached a fishing boat owned by him along with three other persons. The aforementioned fishing boat was sailing within 3 nautical miles off Khan Yunis shore. The Israeli gunboat pointed torches at the fishing boat and then collided with, due to which the fishing boat was drowned. The fishing boat owners headed to the place later, where the boat sank, but they did not find it.

Table of Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in the Gaza Strip in September 2015

Month	Shooting	Shelling	Injuries	Damaging Fishing Nets
September 2015	7	3	1	1

Table of Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of 2015

Month	Firing	Injuries	Arrest Incidents	Number of Detainees	Confiscation of Fishing Boats	Confiscation of Fishing nets	Damaging Fishing Equipment
January	12	4	2	8	1	2	4
February	15	-	-	-	-	-	-
March	12	2	2	6	3	-	1
April	15	1	-	-	-	-	2 (fishing boat – net)
May	27	7	1	2	1	1	3
June	10	4	-	14	3	2	3
July	7	3	-	8	4	-	-
August	6	-	-	2	1	-	1
September	7	1	-	-	-	-	1 fishing boat
Total	111	22	-	40	13	5	15

IOF opens heavy machinegun fire at Gazan fishermen

GAZA, (PIC)--  Israeli naval gunboats opened heavy machinegun fire Monday morning at the Palestinian fishing boats off the coasts of the southern Gaza Strip. No injuries were reported during the attack.

Israeli gunboats targeted the Palestinian fishermen off the coasts of Central Gaza Strip, local sources said.

Israeli navy also targeted Palestinian fishing boats off the coasts of Rafah city in southern Gaza, sources added.

The fishermen were forced to leave the sea due to heavy firing, while no injuries were reported in both attacks.

Israeli gunboats open gunfire at Palestinian fishermen and their boats on daily basis in violation of the ceasefire agreement reached on Aug. 26, 2014 between Israeli forces and Palestinian resistance with Egyptian mediation.

Israeli navy attacks fishing boats in Gaza waters

11-10-2015 10:19 AM

 

 

GAZA, (PIC)-- The Israeli occupation navy at dawn Sunday opened machinegun fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Rafah district, south of the Gaza Strip.

Local sources said that all the fishermen on the boats survived the gunfire attack and managed to return to shore.

In an earlier incident, the Israeli navy on Saturday night bombed and opened fire at the shores of al-Sudaniya and Khan Younis areas, north and south of Gaza, with no reported casualties or material damage.

Israeli navy breaches truce, opens fire at Gaza fishermen

 

GAZA, (PIC)-- Israeli gunboats on Friday morning opened heavy machinegun fire at Palestinian fishermen setting sail off Gaza shores.

According to media sources the Israeli navy forces opened their machine gunfire on fishing boats sailing within four nautical miles off al-Soudaniya shore, northwest of the blockaded Gaza Strip.

A fisherman’s boat sustained remarkable material damage in the attack.

The fishermen were forced to leave the sea for fear of being killed by Israeli bullet fire.

Israeli naval boats have often opened fire on Palestinian fishermen sailing within the unilaterally-imposed six-nautical-mile zone, flagrantly violating the Cairo-brokered ceasefire accord. 

Israel detains 2 Palestinian fishermen off Gaza coast

Oct. 5, 2015 12:12 P.M. (Updated: Oct. 5, 2015 12:12 P.M.)

(MaanImages/File)

 

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Israeli naval forces on Monday detained two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza, witnesses said. Israeli forces reportedly forced the fishermen to jump from their boat and swim to the Israeli naval boat, before taking them to shore. Israeli forces also seized the boat and took it to the Israeli port of Ashdod.An Israeli army spokeswoman did not immediately return respond when asked for comment.According to documentation by the Gaza fishing union, Israel’s navy has committed at least 1,370 assaults on fishermen since the signing of the July 2014 ceasefire agreement that ended Israel’s most recent military offensive.The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), found that the blockade has seriously undermined the ability of Gazan fishermen to make a living at sea.The difficulties have lead to a severe drop in those attempting to pursue the career. According to OCHA, the number of fishermen in Gaza has declined from about 10,000 in 2000, to only 3,500 in 2013 -- 95 percent of whom receive international aid to supplement their income.

Sami Ali El Goga – The Story of a Gazan Fisherman

ISM website

Sami Ali El Goga – fisherman who was attacked by the Israeli navy.

ISM Gaza met the fisherman Sami Ali El Goga, 36, who lost his hand and part of his arm the 12th March 2007, when he was attacked by the Israeli navy. In the same attack his boat was completely destroyed and his 13-year-old nephew, who was in the boat with him, sustained shrapnel wounds throughout his body.

Eight years later he is still waiting for the assistance promised by several international agencies, as he hasn’t been able to work since the attack, and without the boat a 20-member-family lost its source of income.

On that day, Sami and his nephew had just reached the 1.5 miles naval blockade when the zionist army approached and started shooting rockets towards them. They attempted to escape to the closest beach, as there was no chance to reach the port. Once on the beach the shooting didn’t stop. Whilst attempting to escape from the boat with his nephew, it was hit by a rocket and in the explosion Sami was severely injured. He nearly bled to death waiting for medical assistance as the Israeli navy prevented any recue from reaching him until 30 minutes later.

After 3 hospitals in Gaza weren’t able to treat him the Palestinian Authority mediated in order that he could be treated in a Hospital in the ‘48 territories (AKA Israel), as the occupation had previously refused to allow him to exit Gaza. The doctors there amputated his hand and afterwards he was taken by the zionist intelligence for an interrogation before sending him back to Gaza.

This wasn’t the first attack Sami suffered, as another boat from his family had been stolen by the occupation in the past.