Israeli forces Release 5 Fishermen, 2 of whom Wounded, and Keep 2 Fishing Boats in Custody

PCHR

Ref: 31/2016 

Rajab Khalid Rajab Abu Riyalah (30)

On Tuesday, 31 May 2016, Israeli navy forces opened fire at 5 fishermen on board of two fishing boats and wounded 2 of them, after which, Israeli navy forces arrested the 5 fishermen and confiscated their two boats. Israeli navy forces did not offer the medical aid for one of the wounded fishermen, who was hit with a live bullet to the right knee. On the same day, Israeli forces released the five fishermen, while the two boats have been still in custody in Ashdod Seaport. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the Israeli attacks against fishermen and their property in the Gaza Strip Sea and calls upon the international community to intervene to protect the Palestinian fishermen and stop violations and direct attacks practiced against them and their property.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 06:50 on Tuesday, 31 May 2016, 3 fishing boats were sailing within 3 nautical miles offshore, southwest of the Gaza City, on board of which were 7 fishermen. A fisherman stated that he saw two Israeli gunboats quickly approaching their boats, therefore, the fishermen attempted to flee to the shore for fear of being arrested or for their boats to be confiscated. However, they were surprised by heavy fire at them. As a result, Rajab Khalid Rajab Abu Riyalah (30) was hit with a live bullet to the right knee, while his brother Khalid, who was on board of the same boat, was hit with a rubber-coated metal bullet to the abdomen. Israeli forces arrested the two wounded fishermen in addition to the three others, who were identified as Hasan Mohamed Ibrahim Miqdad (31) and his brother Mohamed (29) and Mohamed Bashir Sha’ban Abu Riyalah (21) after forcing them to take off their clothes. The Israeli navy forces pulled the 2 boats to Ashdod Seaport. A third fishing boat manned by 2 fishermen fled to the shore. The 2 wounded fishermen received first aid, while although Rajab Abu Riyalah was referred to Barzilai Medical Center and stayed there for 6 hours, the bullet remained in his knee. The 5 fishermen were released at approximately 19:00 on the same day, but the 2 boats remained in the Israeli custody.
Rajab Khaled Rajab Abu Riyala (30) said to PCHR’s fieldworker that once he was admitted to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, he underwent a surgery to take the bullet out of his knee. It should be noted that Abu Riyala has been at the hospital.
PCHR strongly condemns the new Israeli attacks against Palestinian fishermen and their property, arrests, opening gunfire at them without offering first aid, confiscation of fishing boats and other property. PCHR also considers these attack as a grave violation of the fishermen’s right to sail and fish freely and to protect their property in the Gaza waters.  Moreover, PCHR believes that such attacks against Palestinian fishermen constitute a form of collective punishment against them which aims to target fishermen and their livelihood. Furthermore, PCHR calls upon the international community to provide protection for Palestinian fishermen and their right to sail and fish freely, and to stop all forms of collective punishment against fishermen and their property which violate the international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
وim on the, Rajab Khalid Rajab Abu Riyalah (30) was hit with a live bullet to the knee, while his brother, Khalid who was accomp

Israeli forces detain 2 Palestinian fishermen off Gaza coast

April 26, 2016 8:16 P.M. (Updated: April 27, 2016 2:09 P.M.)


GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the Gaza fishermen committee said.
The head of the Gaza fishermen committee, Zakariya Bakr, told Ma'an that Israeli naval forces opened fire at fishing boats off the coast of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip.Bakr added that Israeli forces then detained fishermen Aahed Ziyad Zayid and Munis al-Abed Zayid and confiscated their boats before taking them to an unknown location.No injuries were reported in the incident, Bakr said.An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an they were looking into the reports.Earlier on Tuesday, witnesses told Ma’an that Israeli naval forces fired live ammunition at fishermen working off the coast of al-Zahra area of central Gaza, without causing any injuries.The Israeli military enters Palestinian areas on both land and sea sides of the Gaza Strip on a near-daily basis, often putting Palestinian fishermen and farmers -- and their livelihoods -- at risk.While Israeli authorities this month expanded the fishing zone designated for Palestinian fishermen to nine nautical miles in the southern Gaza Strip, and retained the six mile zone in the north, fishermen regularly report detentions, live fire, and boat confiscation within these limits.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has documented over 40 instances of Israeli incursions into the Gaza border area this month alone.

Israeli forces detain 2 Palestinian fishermen off Gazan coast

April 24, 2016 1:00 P.M. (Updated: April 24, 2016 5:08 P.M.)

 

GAZA (Ma'an) -- Israeli naval forces on Sunday morning detained two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip and seized their fishing boat, local sources told Ma'an.

Locals told Ma'an that Israeli naval forces opened fire on fishing boats, and detained Oranus al-Sultan and Ibrahim al-Sultan and took them to an unknown location. The sources added that Israeli forces seized fishing equipment and the boat.

As part of Israel's near-decade long blockade of the coastal enclave since 2007, Palestinian fishermen have been required to work within a limited "designated fishing zone" off the coast, which was recently extended to nine nautical miles.

Israeli forces regularly detain Palestinian fisherman off the coast of Gaza working within the fishing zone, generally for alleged security reasons.

According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Israeli forces detained 71 fishermen and confiscated 22 fishing boats throughout 2015.

The center said that Israeli naval forces also opened fire on Palestinian fishermen at least 139 times over the course of the year, wounding 24 and damaging 16 fishing boats.

"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," the center said.

Palestinian fisherman shot, 3 detained off Gaza coast

April 19, 2016 10:35 A.M. (Updated: April 19, 2016 5:35 P.M.)

AFP/File

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli naval forces shot and injured a Palestinian fisherman and detained three others off the coast Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip early Tuesday, sources saidHead of the fishermen’s union Nizar Ayyash told Ma’an the forces opened fire on the fishermen while they were working at sea within the nine-mile fishing zone designated by the Israeli authorities.The injured fisherman was released by the naval forces and taken to the hospital for medical treatment while three others were detained, Ayyash said.An Israeli spokesperson told Ma’an they were looking into the reports.Israel early this month loosened severe seaside restrictions on Palestinians in the besieged coastal enclave, extending the military-enforced designated fishing zone by three nautical miles off the southern coast of the Gaza Strip.The Gaza Strip has been under a crippling blockade since 2007 and has enforced “buffer zone” along land and sea borders for alleged security purposes. The zone is generally enforced by live fire, putting the lives of both fishermen and farmers at risk on a near-daily basis, ultimately devastating agricultural and fishing sectors of the strip’s already-withered economy.While Israel typically cites security concerns when targeting Palestinian fishermen, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights has reported in the past that fishermen are often targeted when they pose no threat.

IDF fires on Gaza fishermen despite expanded fishing zone

 972mag.com

One Palestinian fisherman is reportedly wounded by Israeli navy fire, four are arrested and their boats seized. The size of the zone where Israel allows Gazans to fish changes at the whims of Israeli military commanders and politicians, who have in the past openly discussed how they use it as collective punishment.

By Haggai Matar and Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man

Fisherman reel in their nets off the shore of the Gaza Strip. File photo. (Anne Paq/Activestills.org)

The Israeli navy opened fire on unarmed Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip Saturday morning. No injuries were reported.

On Friday Israeli naval forces arrested four Palestinian fishermen off the southern Gaza coast. Israel released three of the four men Saturday morning. The fourth, who was reportedly wounded by naval gunfire, was expected to be released later in the day.

According to witnesses cited by both the Ma’an and Wafa news agencies, both incidents took place within the designated fishing zone.

Earlier this week the Israeli army expanded the area in which it permits Palestinians to fish from six to nine nautical miles off the coast. Palestinians are still not allowed to venture more than six nautical miles off the coast in the northern half of the Strip.

The limitations affect the amount and types of fish that can be caught, and results in overfishing within the permitted areas.

A Palestinian fisherman and his son sell their catch in the Gaza City fish market. File photo. (Anne Paq/Activestills.org)

According to the Oslo Accords which created the systems that defined the mechanisms according to which the Israeli military rules Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, Israel agreed to allow fishermen in Gaza to operate freely in a zone extending 20 nautical miles off the coast.

The Israeli army has not abided by that commitment for the past decade. Israeli authorities first shrunk the zone to 10 nautical miles, then three nautical miles. As part of a cease-fire agreement with Hamas after the 2014 Gaza war, however, Israel agreed to expand the zone to six nautical miles.
The size of the permitted fishing zone changes at the whim of Israeli military commanders and politicians, who have in the past openly discussed how they use it as collective punishment against civilians in response to rocket fire from armed groups. Sometimes Israeli naval forces simply announce via loudspeakers that they are reducing the size of the zone on a given day.

Palestinian fishermen regularly report that Israeli naval forces harass them, shoot at them, and seize their boats well within the authorized zone. Even when the army admits shooting Palestinian fishermen inside the zone, nobody is held accountable.

Illustrative photo of s sailor in the Israeli navy manning a machine gun. (IDF Spokesperson)

There were at least 139 incidents in which Israeli military forces fired on Palestinian fishermen in 2015, wounding at least 24 fishermen and damaging at least 16 fishing boats, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR). An additional six incidents involved artillery shells. The IDF arrested at least 71 fishermen and seized 22 boats in the same period.

Israel’s decade-old siege on the Gaza Strip, reinforced by Egypt, is enforced through a military blockade on Gaza’s land and sea borders, full control of the Strip’s airspace and the destruction of its only airport. Despite the fact that Israel pulled its troops out of Gaza in 2005 the army still controls the Strip’s currency (the new Israeli shekel), the population registry, large parts of the electricity and water grids, all imports and exports, and decides who may enter and exit through the only regularly open passenger border crossing.

Furthermore, the Israeli army still controls movement inside the Gaza Strip. Israeli troops maintain a no-go zone several hundred meters from the border fence. Palestinian farmers and protesters who enter the no-go zone, which comprises a significant portion of Gaza’s arable land, are regularly fired upon and sometimes killed.

Earlier this year +972 revealed that the army had begun spraying herbicides and germination inhibitors inside the Gaza Strip, damaging some 420 acres of Palestinian-owned crops. The army also regularly enters the Gaza Strip in order to clear brush and other obstacles to its line of sight which it claims Palestinian militants can use to launch attacks against Israeli troops.

The Israeli army also restricts the cellular internet speeds residents of the Gaza Strip may enjoy. The army decides with whom Gaza businesses may conduct trade, including whether they can trade with other Palestinians in the West Bank, what goods they may trade, and every other aspect of imports and exports.

A shorter version of this article first appeared in Hebrew on Local Call. Read it here.

Israeli forces detain 2 Palestinian fishermen off Gaza coast

April 8, 2016 12:43 A.M. (Updated: April 8, 2016 12:43 A.M.)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli naval forces on Thursday detained two Palestinian fishermen off the Gazan coast for allegedly heading beyond the designated nine-nautical-mile fishing zone.

Amjad al-Sharafi, an official with the fishermen's union, told Ma'an that Israeli boats detained the fishermen, identified as Iyad Allun and Raed Abu Odeh, off the coast of Khan Younis and left their boat drifting at sea before it was towed back to shore by other fishermen. 

Israeli forces regularly detain Palestinian fisherman off the coast of Gaza claiming they went beyond the designated fishing zone, which was recently extended from six to nine nautical miles.

According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Israeli forces detained 71 fishermen and confiscated 22 fishing boats throughout 2015.

The center said that Israeli naval forces also opened fire on Palestinian fishermen at least 139 times over the course of the year, wounding 24 and damaging 16 fishing boats.

"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," the center said.

Israeli naval forces detain 14 Palestinian fishermen, seize boats

Dec. 22, 2015 10:57 A.M. (Updated: Dec. 22, 2015 7:36 P.M.) 

 

Palestinian fishermen collect their catch off the coast of Gaza City on July 6, 2014 (AFP/Mahmud Hams, File)

 

GAZA (Ma'an) -- Israeli naval forces early Tuesday detained 14 Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip near Beit Lahiya and seized their boats, local officials said.

 

Palestinian security sources told Ma'an that Amjad Zayed, Sami al-Sultan, and two other fishermen who were not identified were detained by naval forces after their fishing boat was confiscated.

 

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the syndicate of Gaza fishermen, Nizar Ayyash, told Ma'an that Israeli naval boats had escorted other fishermen in their boats to the Israeli port of Ashdod, north of Gaza.Ayyash said 10 had been detained, identifying them as Atif Ahid Bakir and his son Muhib Atif Bakir, Muhammad Ahid Bakir, Mahmoud Zuheir al-Ashwah, Yusri Miqdad, Khalil Bahjat Bakir, Bahjat Khalil Bakir, Shadi Jihad Bakir, Hasan Zaki Bakir and Muhammad Jamal Bakir.

 

It was not clear if the 14 fishermen were detained in separate incidents.

 

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma'an that naval forces on Tuesday opened fire into the air after calling on “two vessels that deviated from the designated fishing zone” to halt.

 

After the vessels "refused to halt," they were "escorted" to a nearby port, where the spokesperson said the forces would decide whether or not to confiscate the vessels.

 

Israeli-imposed blockade on the territory forces fishermen to work within a limited "designated fishing zone" off the coast of the besieged enclave, but Israeli naval forces frequently shoot at fishermen working within these limits, according to documentation by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.

 

Due to high frequency of attacks, live fire at fishing boats often goes unreported.

 

The group recorded at least 117 incidents of forces opening fire on fishermen in the first nine months of 2015, injuring 22 Palestinians.

 

"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," the center said.

 

In the same period, at least 15 Palestinian fishermen were detained.

 

Despite Israel's pledge to expand the fishing zone following the war in the summer of 2014, the limits have remained while the over nine-year blockade imposed by Israel has devastated the livelihood of the around 4,000 fishermen living in the coastal enclave. 

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.

IOF seeking to empty the sea of Palestinian fishermen, PGFTU

PNN/ Gaza

Head of The Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, Sami Al-Umsi on Monday said that the Israeli occupation’s naval forces are seeking to empty the sea of Palestinian fishermen through the policy of daily ongoing attacks.

In a statement, Al-Umsi denounced Israeli naval forces opening heavy fire on fishermen boats off the Khan Younis shores southern Gaza strip, adding that the attacks have been escalating through the past months.

According to Al-Umsi, IOF have kidnapped over 60 Palestinian fishermen, three of them are still detained under charge of possessing Fiber glass material. IOF have also confiscated about 30 boats since the beginning of the ceasefire in August last year between the Israeli occupation authorities and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Gaza.

Al-Umsi stressed that fishing and navigation is a legitimate right for all Palestinian fishermen, adding that the occupation’s crimes of damaging this profession should not pass.

Israel navy shoots, critically injures Gaza fisherman

July 21, 2015 12:37 P.M. (Updated: July 21, 2015 2:18 P.M.)

(MaanImages/File)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli naval forces shot and injured a Palestinian fisherman with live rounds off the coast of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning, witnesses said.Witnesses said that the fisherman in his 20s was hit with a live bullet in his back and several rubber-coated steel bullets in his hand while fishing off the coast northwest of Gaza City.The unidentified fisherman was taken to al-Shifa Hospital where his injury was reported as critical.An Israeli army spokeswoman had information of an incident off the Gazan coast, but said she was not aware of any injuries sustained by Palestinians.She said that Israeli naval forces fired warning shots "in the air and in the water" after a Palestinian fishing vessel "deviated from the designated fishing zone."She said that the boat "ignored the warnings," at which point Israeli forces fired at the boat's engine.She said that the fishermen and boat were taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod for questioning, before they were released.It was not clear whether the incident was related to the injury reported in Gaza.Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on Palestinian fisherman and farmers since the ceasefire agreement signed Aug. 26, 2014 that ended a devastating 50-day Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Strip.In May alone, there were a total of 51 incidents of shootings, incursions into the coastal enclave, and arrests, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.This included 41 shootings, which left nine injured, including one minor.The attacks come despite Israeli promises at the end of the ceasefire to ease restrictions on Palestinian access to both the sea and the border region near the "security buffer zone."

Israeli forces release 5 detained fishermen in Gaza

June 4, 2015 10:06 A.M. (Updated: June 4, 2015 10:07 A.M.)

 
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces on Thursday evening released five Palestinian fishermen who were detained near al-Sudaniya beach in the northern Gaza Strip the same morning. Secretary general of the fishermen union Amjad al-Sharafi told Ma'an that Israeli forces released the five fishermen from the Baker family who were detained earlier. 

Also Thursday, the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions in Gaza said that Israeli forces arrested 60 Palestinian fishermen and seized or destroyed 30 fishing boats since the start of the ceasefire last August. 

The general director of the union Sami al-Asmi said in a statement that Israeli forces seized 77 boats in the last four years, returned 14 of them and destroyed five. They also killed fisherman Sayed Abu Riyala while he was working last March. 

He added that among the 60 fishermen arrested, three remain in Israeli custody for the possession of fiberglass, which used to be legal but now isn't according to Israeli regulations. 

Al-Asmi demanded that Israel stop its continuous attacks on farmers and fishermen in Gaza Strip, and called for the release of those arrested.

Israeli Naval Forces Wound Two Fishers and Arrest Five Others, including Child in Gaza Sea

 PCHR

Tuesday, 02 June 2015 00:00

Ref: 26/2015

On Tuesday, 02 June 2015, Israeli naval gunboats chased and opened fire at a Palestinian fishing boat sailing off northern Gaza shore wounding two fishers.  On Monday morning, 01 June 2015, Israeli naval forces also arrested five Palestinian fishers, including a child, while fishing off Gaza shore.  The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns these attacks against Palestinian fishers that deny them their right to freely practice fishing in the Gaza sea.  PCHR also expresses its concern over the continued Israeli policy of targeting fishers' livelihoods in light of the illegal naval blockade imposed on Gaza sea and in conjunction with the sardine season as well.

 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 06:00 on Tuesday, 02 June 2015, Israeli gunboats opened fire at a Palestinian fishing boat sailing within four nautical miles off al-Soudaniya shore, north of Gaza City, wounding two fishers.

Moheeb Ahed Baker said to a PCHR fieldworker that at approximately 06:00 on Tuesday, 01 June 2015, he and five other fishers went together for sailing on a fishing boat belonging to Bahjat Baker. He added that they started fishing four nautical miles off al-Sudaniya shore. They had fished for an hour and a half, but suddenly an Israeli gunboat that was around opened fire at them. Baker pointed that they tried to flee after they heard the gunfire, but Israeli gunboats chased and directly fired at them. As a result, he sustained five bullet wounds to the legs and Mohammed Mahmoud al-Louh sustained two bullet wounds to the left leg.

On Monday, 01 June 2015, Israeli forces arrested five fishers, including a child, while fishing about four nautical miles off Gaza City shore. These fishers were identified as: Adel Sa'id Abu Reyala (42), Yusef Adel Abu Reyala (19), Mohammed Ibrahim al-Najjar (35), Rami Ibrahim al-Najjar (30) and Ibrahim Hani al-Najjar (11). Four of them were released on Monday midnight, while Rami al-Najjar has remained in custody.

PCHR condemns the violations committed by the Israeli navy forces against Palestinian fishers in the Gaza Strip, and calls upon Israeli forces to:

1. Immediately stop its policy of chasing and arresting Palestinian fishers, 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 fishers and their property;

3. Release Palestinian fishermen who have been under the Israeli custody; and

4. Calls upon the international community, including the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949, to intervene in order to stop Israeli violation against Palestinian fishermen and allow them to fish freely in the Gaza Strip sea.

Israeli forces injure 3 farmers, arrest 2 fishermen in northern Gaza

May 10, 2015 10:06 P.M. (Updated: May 10, 2015 5:12 P.M.)

(MaanImages)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli troops shot and injured three Palestinian farmers in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday afternoon and arrested two fishermen off Beit Lahiya's coast, locals told Ma'an.The three injured men, from the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, were first evacuated by ambulance to Shifa hospital in Gaza City and later transferred to the European Hospital in Khan Younis.Medics said one of the three sustained serious wounds.An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was aware of three Palestinian "suspects" approaching the border.However, she said that Israeli forces had fired warning shots into the air, and that the army was not aware of any injuries.Separately, Israeli navy forces arrested two Palestinian fishermen off the coast in Beit Lahiya. A human rights group told Ma'an that Israeli gunboats fired warning gunshots at a fishing boat before arresting two fishermen on board. The sources identified them as Khalid and Muhammad al-Sultan from Beit Lahiya.The army spokeswoman confirmed the incident, saying that the boat had left the designated fishing zone.She said that Israeli forces fired rubber-coated steel bullets into the air, then at the boat when it continued moving, and afterwards arrested the two men who remain under investigation.Israeli forces, stationed in military watchtowers, have recently intensified shooting attacks against Palestinian farmers who have been busy harvesting wheat in farmlands near the border with Israel.Saturday's shootings came one day after a 17-year-old Palestinian was critically injured when Israeli forces shot him in the head.Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on Gazans since the ceasefire agreement signed Aug. 26, 2014 that ended a devastating 50-day war between Israel and Hamas.The attacks come despite Israeli promises at the end of the ceasefire to ease restrictions on Palestinian access to both the sea and the border region near the "security buffer zone."

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Israeli Gunboats Open Fire at Palestinian Fishermen and Arrest Two in North Gaza

09-05-2015 08:49

Short Link : http://www.mezan.org/en/post/20242

 

At approximately 10:00 pm on Saturday, 9 May 2015, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats that were in the Gaza sea west of Al Waha Resort near the maritime border west of Bait Lahiya in the North Gaza district. The occupying forces surrounded one fishing boat and arrested Ameen Mohammed Al Sultan, 23, and Hatem Abdullah Al Sultan, 29. Both are residents of Beit Lahiya. The Israeli forces took them to an unknown destination.

Palestinian fisherman killed by Israeli navy off the coast of Gaza

 

GAZA, (PIC)-- A Palestinian fisherman, Tawfiq Abu Riyalah, has died Saturday noon due to injuries he sustained since the early morning hours at the hands of Israeli navy forces that opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in Gaza sea.

The spokesman of the Ministry of Health Ashraf al-Qudrah told the PIC reporter that the Palestinian fisherman Abu Riyalah, 32, died in Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza affected by wounds in the abdomen suffered in the Israeli navy attack on Gazan fishermen at dawn Saturday.

Qudrah said a number of the wounded arrived at the hospital with cases ranging between minor and moderate.

At dawn Saturday, the Israeli navy boats fired machineguns at Palestinian fishing boats. The Israeli attack resulted in the death of Abu Riyalah and the injury and arrest of others whereas one boat was confiscated.  

The Gazan fishing boats are almost daily subjected to harassment by the Israeli navy boats deployed off the Gaza coast. As a result, many casualties are suffered in addition to the confiscation of boats and fishing tools. 

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Fisherman Killed By Israeli Fire In Gaza Waters

Saturday March 07, 2015 23:25 by IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian medical sources have reported that a fisher who was shot and injured by Israeli navy fire, earlier Saturday, died of his wounds in the Shifa Medical Center, in Gaza, a few hours after his injury.

Tawfiq Abu Ryala - Watania News Agency

The fisher, Tawfiq Abu Ryala, 34, was shot in the abdomen when Israeli naval ships opened fire on fishing boats in Palestinian territorial waters, less than six nautical miles off the coast.

The soldiers also forced two fishers, Jihad, 22, and his brother Wahid Sayyed Kaskin, 23 years of age, to swim towards their ship, and kidnapped them.

The attack is part of frequent Israeli violations against the fishers, and their boats, in direct violation of all ceasefire agreements, and the Oslo accords.

Hundreds of residents marched in the funeral procession and ceremony of the slain Palestinian while chanting slogans against the Israeli occupation, its escalating violations and assaults.

On Thursday morning, the navy, shot and wounded two fishermen in Palestinian waters near the Sudaniyya area, northwest of Gaza City, and kidnapped four others.

Two more attacks were reported on Tuesday and Monday of this week. All took place while the boats were in Palestinian territorial waters, within the six allotted nautical miles. 

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Gaza fisherman dies after Israeli forces fire on boats

 

Published yesterday (updated) 08/03/2015 16:09

Palestinian fisherman off the coast of Gaza in 2005 (MaanImages)

 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) – Israeli naval forces shot and killed a Palestinian fisherman, and arrested two others while they were sailing in small fishing boats off the coast south of Gaza City early Saturday morning.

Speaker of the union of Gaza fishermen Nizar Ayyash told Ma'an that Israeli gunboats opened machine gun fire at a group of Palestinian fishermen. Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra confirmed to Ma'an that Tawfiq Abu Riyala died from injuries sustained by the fire.

Ayyash added that Israeli navy then seized two fishing boats and took them to unknown destination.

An Israeli army spokeswoman told Ma'an that after four vessels deviated from the fishing zone this morning, Israeli forces ordered the vessels to halt. Warning shots were fired towards the engines of the vessels, and two hits were confirmed. Two of the vessels were detained by Israeli forces, the other two turning back.

The spokeswoman added that every deviation by fishing boats from the fishing zone is perceived by Israeli forces as a security threat, citing an incident last month in which a vessel was caught outside of the fishing zone with arms intended for Hamas.

The Aug. 26 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian militant groups stipulated that Israel would immediately expand the fishing zone off Gaza's coast, allowing fishermen to sail as far as six nautical miles from shore, and would continue to expand the area gradually.

Since then, there have been widespread reports that Israeli forces have routinely opened fire at fishermen within those new limits, and the zone has not been expanded.

The al-Mezan Center for Human Rights reported that since the ceasefire agreement Israeli forces have detained 49 Palestinian fishermen, injured 17, confiscated 12 fishing boats and damaged fishing tools in nine other incidents.

Recent targeting of Gazan fishermen comes at a time when economic growth in the coastal enclave is near frozen and 80 percent of the population is food insecure, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.

 

Israeli forces shoot, injure 2 fishermen off Gaza coast

Published yesterday (updated) 05/03/2015 13:39

 

(MaanImages/File)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Two Palestinian fishermen were shot and injured as Israeli naval gunboats opened fire at a group of fishing boats off the Mediterranean coast west of the al-Sudaniyya neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip.

Speaker of the union of Gaza fishermen, Nizar Ayyash, identified the victims as Eid Muhsin Bakr and Ziad Fahd Bakr, confirming that one of them is in a serious condition. The two have been evacuated to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Ayyash added that Israel's navy arrested three other fishermen.

The Aug. 26 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian militant groups stipulated that Israel would immediately expand the fishing zone off Gaza's coast, allowing fishermen to sail as far as six nautical miles from shore, and would continue to expand the area gradually.

Since then, there have been widespread reports that Israeli forces have opened fire at fishermen within those new limits, and the zone has not yet been expanded. This morning's incident was the fourth of its kind this week alone.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said a fishing boat deviated from the designated area and Israeli forces fired warning shots in the air.

"When the boat failed to comply, forces use riot dispersal means, with reports of one Palestinian injured in the foot," she added.

IOF Arrests 12 Fishermen and Confiscates their Boats in North Gaza District

Al Mezan

06-12-2014

At approximately 6:30 pm on Saturday, 6 December 2014, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the coast west of Al Waha resort-near the maritime border- west of Beit Lahiya in North Gaza district.
The Israeli boats surrounded a number of Palestinian boats and arrested 10 fishermen.
Al Mezan has identified their names as follows: Ahmed Mohammed Zayed, 30; His brother Mahmoud, 29; Safwat Abdel Malek As-Sultan, 30; Sa’ed Zayed Zayed, 32; Yaser Othman Meqdad, 39; His brother Adham, 27; Bahaa Al Din Ziyad An-Najjar, 19; Mahmoud Nasser Mahfouz, 24; Sfiyan Ahmed Abu Msameh, 18; and Belal Izzat Abi Oda, 32.
The Israeli intensive firing forced fishermen to leave their nets in the sea and sailed immediately to the land.
As a result, Raed Saleh Abu Warda lost 8 pieces of fishing nets and Subhi Mohammed Sa’adallah lost 6 pieces of nets.
At approximately 9:00 pm on the same day, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Mohammed Ameen Abu Warda, 22, and his brother Yousif, 19, while they were in their boat trying to get their fishing net back.
According to eyewitnesses, seven Israeli boats surrounded the two fishermen and forced them to take off their clothes, jump to the sea, swim towards them and arrested them.
The IOF confiscated five fishing boats in the two incidents and 45 pieces of fishing nets and equipment.
It’s worth noting that the IOF opened fire at fishermen while they were 1.
5 nautical miles off the coast.

Israeli forces open fire at Gaza fishermen, detain 5

 

 

 

 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained five Gaza fishermen off the coast of Gaza City early Wednesday, an employee of a human rights group told Ma'an.

The employee, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Ma'an that Israeli naval forces opened fire "heavily" on a group of Palestinian fishermen.

Israeli forces "forced a boat of five fisherman from the Bakr family to stop, detained them, and dragged the boat to an unknown location."

No injuries were reported.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said that there were two "Palestinian vessels" carrying seven people near the northern Gaza Strip that "deviated from the designated fishing zone."

Israeli forces called on them to stop and fired warning shots into the air, and when the boats did not stop, in the "vicinity of the vessels."

The forces then took the Palestinians in for questioning, the spokeswoman said.

She said the Palestinians were 3,600 yards (1.8 nautical miles) from the fishing zone.

The Aug. 26 ceasefire agreement reached with Palestinian militant groups stipulated that Israel would immediately expand the fishing zone off Gaza's coast, allowing fishermen to sail as far as six nautical miles from shore, and would continue to expand the area gradually.

Since then, there have been widespread reports that Israeli forces have at times opened fire at fishermen within those new limits.

Prior to the recent agreement, Israeli forces maintained a limit of three nautical miles on all Gaza fishermen, opening fire at fishermen who strayed further, despite earlier agreements which had settled on a 20-mile limit.

The restrictions crippled Gaza's fishing industry and impoverished local fishermen.

Israeli forces detain 4 Gaza fishermen

Palestinian fishermen work on Jan. 24, 2009 near the border with
Egypt (AFP/File, Said Khatib)

 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli naval forces early Tuesday detained four Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip, a Ma'an reporter said.

Israeli gunboats intercepted a Palestinian fishing boat near Beit Lahiya and detained four fishermen from the al-Sultan family, taking them to an unknown location.

An Israeli army spokeswoman told Ma'an Israeli naval forces "identified two vessels" that were outside of the "permitted fishing zone" in the area, saying they were further than six miles from shore.

The forces called on the boats to stop, fired warning shots into the air, shot "toward the vicinity of the vessels," and then took the fishermen for "questioning," the spokeswoman said.

Last Wednesday, Israeli forces detained two Palestinian fishermen in the same area.

Since the signing of a ceasefire agreement that ended 50 days of fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza on Aug. 26, the Israeli navy has in at least three instances fired at Gaza fishermen under the pretext that they had surpassed fishing zone limits.

Last Tuesday, fishermen told Ma'an Israeli forces fired at them with machine guns while they were fishing well within the six-mile limit near Rafah, in an apparent breach of the ceasefire deal.

The Israeli army confirmed the incident at the time but said only warning shots had been fired and that the fishermen were further than six miles from shore.

The Aug. 26 agreement stipulated that Israel would immediately expand the fishing zone off Gaza's coast, allowing fishermen to sail as far as six nautical miles from shore, and would continue to expand the area gradually.

Under the terms of the deal, Israel also agreed to ease its siege on the coastal enclave.

Prior to the recent agreement, Israeli forces maintained a limit of three nautical miles on all Gaza fishermen, opening fire at fishermen who strayed further, despite earlier agreements which had settled on a 20-mile limit.

The restrictions crippled Gaza's fishing industry and impoverished local fishermen.

Israeli navy kidnaps 3 Palestinian fishermen

[ 28/05/2014 - 12:03 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- Israeli navy gunboats fired at Palestinian fishermen and kidnapped three of them on Tuesday night. Nizar Ayyash told the PIC reporter on Wednesday that the incident took place off the southern Gaza Strip coast of Rafah. He said that Israeli navy shooting on Palestinian fishermen and their boats has become daily routine, adding that the detention of fishermen at night has also escalated. --------- Union: Israel navy detains 3 fishermen off Gaza coast   Published yesterday 13:08 (MaanImages/file)   GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israel's navy detained three fishermen off the coast of southern Gaza late Tuesday, a local union said. Nizar Ayyash, spokesperson for the Gaza fisherman's union, said Israeli naval forces detained Ibrahim Khamis Murad, Khamis Ibrahim Murad and Ahmad al-Jizawi while they were fishing off the coast. An Israeli army spokesman did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Israeli navy fires at, detains Gaza fishermen

Published Wednesday 21/05/2014 (updated) 22/05/2014 20:59

 

(MaanImages/File)

 

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli naval forces early Wednesday fired at fishermen off the coast of the southern Gaza Strip before detaining two of them, a union official said.

Nizar Ayyash, head of the Gaza fishermen's union, said Ramiz Jumaa and Imad Mansour were detained by the Israeli navy off the coast of Rafah.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said a Palestinian "vessel deviated from its designated fishing zone."

Navy soldiers called on the fishermen to return to the zone, and "fired warning shots in the air."

"When that didn't help, two suspects were taken in for questioning," the spokeswoman said.

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