Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in Gaza Sea

PCHR

Sunday, 09 December 2012 00:00

Fact Sheet

Israeli Attacks on Fishermen in the Gaza Sea

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) documented 48 attacks launched by the Israeli Occupation Forces against Palestinian fishermen during the reporting period (01– 30 November 2012).[1] According to PCHR teams' observations, these attacks escalated during the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip (14 – 21 November 2012), during which the Israeli forces committed 30 violations against Palestinian fishermen, which involved aerial and naval bombardment, as well as shooting at fishing ports across the coast of the Gaza Strip, resulting in extensive losses in public and private property of the fishing sector.

 

PCHR also documented 18 violations in the period following the offensive, after the truce deal between Israel and the Palestinian armed groups under Egyptian and international auspices was reached. These violations included, 8 shootings damaging 5 fishing boats (1 boat completely destroyed, damaging an engine, and partial damages to 3 other boats), 4 chase operations which led to the arrest of 15 fishermen while fishing between 3.5 to 6 nautical miles off the shore of Beit Lahia, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza, and the confiscation of a boat.

Violation of the Right to Life and Security of Person

Israel’s attacks against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip constitute flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and international 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, ratified by the State of Israel.  Israeli forces perpetrated violations against Palestinian fishermen in the sea, whilst 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 Israeli forces attacked them.

First: Firing at Fishing Boats in the Gaza Strip Waters

During the reporting period, PCHR documented 8 cases in which Israeli forces fired at Palestinian fishermen in the seawaters off the Gaza shore; as a result, a fishing boat was completely destroyed, an engine was damaged, and 3 boats were partially damaged.  These attacks took place within 6 nautical miles off the Gaza shores, in which fishermen are allowed to sail and fish according to the truce-deal reached between Israel and the Palestinian armed groups under Egyptian and international auspices.  PCHR also documented the Israeli warplanes’ targeting of the fishing sector during the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. 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

During the reporting period, PCHR documented incidents in which the Israeli forces arrested 15 Palestinian fishermen on 4 separate occasions, while fishing at a distance between 3.5 – 6 nautical miles, off the shore of Beit Lahia, Gaza, and Deir al-Balah.

· At approximately 10:00 hours on Wednesday, 28^th November 2012, Israeli forces chased a fishing boat, belonging to Murad Rajab al-Hessi, from Gaza, at nearly 6 nautical miles off Deir al-Balah shore. Mohammad Murad al-Hessi (39), Ahmed Murad al-Hessi (32), Murad Mohammad al-Hessi (18), and Rajab Rashad al-Hessi (36) were on board the fishing boat. 4 Israeli gunboats opened fire intensively at the boat; as a result, the boat was partially damaged. The Israeli soldiers ordered the fishermen to jump into the water and swim towards the gunboat. They were all arrested and interrogated at gunpoint. 3 hours later, 4 of them were released, except for Mohammad Murad al-Hessi, who is still in detention. The boat is still confiscated.

· At approximately 08:00 hours on Wednesday, 28^th November 2012, Israeli gunboats opened fire directly and intensively at a Palestinian fishing boat, belonging to Khader Jamal Baker (20), from Gaza, while sailing at 3.5 nautical miles. As a result, the fishing boat was completely destroyed. Baker was arrested by the Israeli soldiers and interrogated at gunpoint for 3 hours before releasing him.

· At approximately 11:00 hours on Wednesday, 28^th November 2012, Israeli gunboats opened fire intensively at a Palestinian fishing boat boarding 3 fishermen, belonging to Wafdi Suheil Baker (24), from Gaza, while sailing at 5 nautical miles off the Gaza shore. As a result of the shooting, the boat’s engine was damaged. The Israeli soldiers arrested the three fishermen, who were identified as: Wafdi Suheil Baker (24), Khaled Suheil Baker (20), and Mohammad Suheil Baker (18), all from Gaza.

· At approximately 10:15 hours on Thursday, 29^th November 2012, Israeli naval forces stationed off the Beit Lahia shore, intercepted a fishing boat boarding 6 fishermen, belonging to Fahed Ziad Baker (38), from Gaza, while sailing at approximately 5 nautical miles off the Beit Lahia shore, in the northern side of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli soldiers arrested the fishermen and interrogated them on the Israeli gunboat at gunpoint. Up to this hour, they are still in detention. The arrested fishermen were identified as: Fahed Ziad Baker (38), Ihab Jawad Baker (36), Mohammad Ziad Baker (32), Nai'm Fahed Baker (16), Ziad Faged Baker (18) and Ali Alaa Baker (18).

Third: Confiscation of Fishing Boats

PCHR has followed up Israel’s violations against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza seawaters, particularly the confiscation of fishing boats.  During the reporting period, the Israeli forces confiscated Murad Rajab al-Hessi's fishing boat, while sailing at approximately 6 nautical miles off Deir al-Balah shore.

Fourth: Damaging Fishing Tools and Equipment

· At approximately 10:00 hours on Wednesday, 28^th November 2012, Israeli forces chased a fishing boat belonging to Murad Rajab al-Hessi, from Gaza, at nearly 6 nautical miles off Deir al-Balah shore; as a result, the boat was partially damaged.

· At approximately 08:00 hours on Wednesday, 28^th November 2012, Israeli gunboats opened fire directly and intensively at a Palestinian fishing boat belonging to Khader Jamal Baker (20), from Gaza, while sailing at 3.5 nautical miles. As a result, the fishing boat was completely destroyed.

· At approximately 11:00 hours on Wednesday, 28^th November 2012, Israeli gunboats opened fire intensively at a Palestinian fishing boat boarding 3 fishermen, belonging to Wafdi Suheil Baker (24), from Gaza, while sailing at 5 nautical miles off the Gaza shore. As a result of the shooting, the boat’s engine was damaged.

· At approximately 12:00 hours on Wednesday, 28^th November 2012, Israeli gunboats opened fire directly and intensively at two Palestinian fishing boats belonging to Mohammad Najib Baker (60) and Tal'at Kamel Baker (22), both from Gaza, while sailing at 3 nautical miles, off the Gaza shore. As a result of the shooting, both the boats were partially damaged.

Fifth: The Targeting the Fishing Sector during the Israeli Offensive on the Gaza Strip (14 – 21 November 2012):

During the Israeli forces' offensive on the Gaza Strip, they directly targeted the fishing sector, which inflicted extensive losses on it, including the destruction of fishing ports, boats, nets, and other fishing equipment. According to PCHR's documentation, the Israeli forces carried out 30 attacks, including aerial and naval bombardment and shootings at public and private property of the fishing sector across the coast of the Gaza Strip. As a result of these attacks, the fishing sector suffered from massive losses and destruction (as presented in tables (2) and (3)), which included nearly 80 boats, dozens of engines, and fishing equipment. Most of the Israeli attacks against the fishing sector were focused in Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip, and the Central Gaza Strip.

As a result of the offensive on the Gaza Strip, the fishermen were deprived of fishing at sea throughout the duration of the offensive (8 days), which reflected significantly on the fishermen's financial conditions and livelihood, especially that the offensive concurred with the Israeli forces' systematic policy to prohibit the fishermen from fishing freely.

Table (1)

Table of Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in Gaza City

(01 – 30 November 2012)

Month	Firing	Killed Persons	Injuries	Arrest Incidents	Number of Detainees	Confiscation of Fishing Boats	Damage of Fishing Equipment
November	- 8 - Warplanes’ shelling of the fishing sector (north, central and south) during the Israeli offensive	-	-	4	15	1	- 5 - Partial damages (3 boats) - Complete destruction of 1 fishing boat - Damaging a fishing boat engine

Table (2)

Table of Damages to the Fishing Sector (Public Facilities) during the Israeli Offensive on the Gaza Strip (14 – 21 November 2012)[2]

Province	Nature of Damages	Total Damage
Northern Gaza	Partial damages	3 fishing boats
Gaza	Partial and Complete damages	- Partial damages to office of the Fishermen Association - Destruction of the Fishermen Café - Destruction of the port gateway - Partial damages to the fishermen port - Partial damages to 10 fishing boats
Central Gaza	Complete damage	Fishermen Syndicate Headquarters
Khan Younis	Partial and Complete damages	- Destruction of the Fishermen Syndicate Headquarters - Destruction of al-Tawfiq Fishing Association - Destruction of al-Mawasi clinic (serves the fishing sector) - Destruction of a youth center - Destruction of the refrigerator room and generator of the Ministry of Agriculture - Partial damages to chambers of 5 fishermen - Destruction of 6 doors of shops in the fish market
Rafah	Partial damages	3 fishing boats

Table (3)

Table of Damages to the Fishing Sector (Private Fishing Equipment) During the Israeli Offensive on the Gaza Strip (14 – 21 November 2012)[3]

Province	Nature of Damages	Total Damage
Central Rafah	Partial and Complete Damages	Fishing tools and equipment belonging to 42 fishermen
Khan Younis	Partial and Complete Damages	Fishing tools and equipment belonging to 24 fishermen

---

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

[2] PCHR holds a detailed list of the public damages inflicted upon the fishing sector during the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip (14-21 November 2012).

[3] PCHR holds a detailed list of the private damages inflicted upon the fishing sector during the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip (14-21 November 2012).

Ministry of agriculture hands out financial aid to farmers and fishermen

[ 27/04/2009 - 09:11 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- The Palestinian ministry of agriculture on Sunday handed out, during a ceremony held in Gaza, financial assistance worth $1,000,000 to Palestinian fishermen as well as farmers whose plantations, livestock or wells were devastated by the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. During the ceremony which was attended by representative of the premier Ziad Zaza and a number of lawmakers, Dr. Mohamed Al-Agha, the minister of agriculture, said that this assistance was provided by the Palestinian government as urgent relief to those affected by the Israeli war, promising that this step would not be the last one. Dr. Agha noted that what the government provides is classified as aid and subsidies, not as recompense because the compensation is the responsibility of the Israeli occupation authority which destroyed and wreaked havoc in Gaza. The minister underlined that the direct damage and losses of the agricultural sector is estimated at more than $174,000,000 other than the indirect losses which amount to $413,000,000. The minister highlighted that his ministry adopted the strategy of self-reliance to achieve some kind of food security in light of the wanton siege on Gaza. For his part, Zaza affirmed that the Palestinian government in Gaza provided more than $65,000,000 to support various sectors affected by the Israeli war including the agricultural sector that received considerable attention with the aim of reviving it. The official pointed out that the government in cooperation with local and international organizations would work on removing the debris and re-paving the streets and agricultural roads. At the end of the ceremony, the Palestinian farmers and fishermen received checks payable by the post offices in Gaza.

It’s a ceasefire…just not on the beach, not in your home

Eva Bartlett | In Gaza
January 24, 2009, 7:52 am

On the 5^th morning after Israel declared a ‘ceasefire’, Israeli gunboats began shelling, as they had on several mornings since halting the 22 day air and land bombardment of Gaza. The shelling, which began just after 7:30 am off Gaza city’s coast, injured at least 6, including one boy with shrapnel in his head.

Yasser Abed, 15, came out from his home in Gaza’s Beach camp, on the coast, to see where the shelling was occurring. A shard of shrapnel lodged in his forehead.

Nisreen al Quqa, 11, was out earlier, before the navy began to fire towards Palestinian fishermen. She and her brother were walking on the beach when the firing started. A piece of shrapnel lodged in her right calf muscle.

Other injuries included a 14 year old male who was hit in the thigh by one of the shrapnel fragments, a 35 year old male also with a shrapnel injury, and a 4 year old girl with a head wound from flying shrapnel.

To the east of Gaza city, in the Sheyjaiee district close to the eastern border, also on the same day, 7 year old Ahmed Hassanian was outside his house with friends around 9:45 am. He lies now in critical condition in Shifa hospital’s ICU, a bullet still lodged in his brain and with such brain hemorrhaging and damage that he is expected to die shortly.

Mu’awiyah Hassanain, the director of Ambulance and Emergency Services, reports shelling in the northwestern coastal area of As Sudaniya on the same morning, saying five fishermen were injured in the attacks.

Israeli warplanes, on the first day of the ceasefire, flew extremely low and loudly over areas of Gaza, leaving residents expecting the worst. Drones capable of photographing and of dropping lethal, targeted missiles, continued to circle in Gaza’s skies for the first 3 days after the tanks retreated and the air-bombing ceased. At 8:30 am, one of these drones dropped 2 missiles in the Amal area east of Beit Hanoun, wounding a woman and an 11 year old child, who later died of her injuries.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) reports further violations of the cease-fire.

At 10:40, Israeli troops killed Maher abu Rjaila, 23, shooting him in the chest as he walked on his land east of Khan Younis city.
Two days later, at 1:00pm, Israeli soldiers fired on residents of Al Qarara, near Khan Younis, shooting Waleed al-Astal, 42, in his right foot.

Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed at least 1, 330, with as many as 200 more bodies expected to be recovered from under the rubble of the over 5,000 destroyed houses and 20,000 buildings.

Dr. Fawzi Nablusi, director of Shifa’s ICU, said that of the cases in Shifa’s ICU, 90% were civilian, of these 50% were women and children. One of those civilians injured the day before Israel’s ceasefire was Mohammed Jarboua. Also from the Beach camp, the 21 year old is clinically brain dead, surviving only on mechanical life-support, after being shot in the head by Israeli naval forces.

The Director of Shifa hospital, Dr. Hassan Khalaf, and Mu’awiyah Hassanain confirmed that since the ceasefire began on January 18, three more Palestinians have been killed, and 15 more injured, 10 of those injured on January 22^nd.

These ceasefire violations are not a new precedent, as during the 6 month ceasefire which began on June 19^th, Israeli forces routinely targeted and fired upon fishermen and farmers along Gaza’s eastern and northern borders, injuring 62, according to Palestinian sources. During this period, 22 Palestinians were also killed, many of them members of resistance groups, and 38 fishermen and farmers were abducted. The truce period saw border crossings mainly closed, completely sealed them from November 4, 2008 with only the briefest of openings.

As the dust settles and noxious chemical fires continue to smolder, Gazans focus on their immediate needs: housing, food, and in many cases locating lost family members still under the rubble.

The root of the problem continues: the nearly 2 year old siege on Gaza, not relaxed under the 6 month ceasefire as agreed, and which had already decimated Gaza’s health and sanitation infrastructures, and had shattered the economy. From the ruins of Gaza, any signs of an end to the siege are far beyond the broken horizon.

TIMELINE OF GAZA MARINE ZONE, FISHERMEN AND NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS

Posted on the FGM website on: Monday, 12 January 2009 21:55

Written by David K. Schermerhorn

Link leading to a Schermerhorn radio interview on the subject http://citizenreporter.org/2009/01/bm292-the-battle-for-gaza-gas-reserves/

BACKGROUND: There is an historical connection between the Gazan community and the off shore fishery. In recent times some 3000 fishermen in over 700 boats made their livelihood in the waters off the shores of Gaza. Before 1978 when the fishing area included the sea off the Sinai coastline the area covered some 75,000 square kilometers.

The larger boats are about 20 meters in length and usually carry a crew of 7. They are typically trawlers using downriggers to lower their nets to the ocean bed. Currently their main catch is bream or sardines that average between 8 and 14 inches. The smallest craft are rowboats normally used to deploy nets a few hundred meters off shore. The nets are then hauled in by hand from the beach. These catches are very modest.

After the 1994 GAZA-JERICHO AGREEMENT the fishermen were free to use a corridor extending 20 nautical miles from the Gaza shore bounded by restricted zones to the north and south abutting Israeli and Egyptian waters. After the UN's 2002 Bertini proposal the approved location was reduced to an area within 12 nautical miles of the coast. More recently the area available has been reduced to 300 square kilometers.

Beginning in late 2000 the Israeli military began a campaign of intimidation and harassment against the fishing boats that ventured near or beyond a 6 nautical mile limit. No formal notice or explanation was ever given to the Palestinians. Instead the regulation was written and enforced by Israeli machine guns and water cannons. At least 14 fishermen have been killed by the Israelis, over 200 injured and numerous boats damaged or impounded.

WHY?

In the late 1990's the British Gas Group (BG Group) discovered a vast deposit of natural gas under the waters off Gaza: Over 1 trillion cubic feet equal to 150 million barrels of oil was estimated to be there. A significantly smaller deposit was also found in nearby Israeli waters.

On 11/8/99 Chairman Yasser Arafat signed an agreement giving BG Group 90 percent interest and 10 per cent to Consolidated Contractors Company, an Athens based Palestinian entity connected to the PLO.
A final allocation of the rights continues to be contested between BG Group, Israel, Egypt and the Palestinians in obscured ongoing negotiations.
The Israelis began their program of killing and harassing the Gazan fishermen only after the discovery of the natural gas deposits. It is a reasonable assumption that the two events are linked: That the Israelis are asserting control over this resource valued at over 4 billion dollars; And that they are intent on denying any benefit to the Palestinians regardless of who controls Gaza.

TIMELINE:

-May 4, 1994: PLO Chairman Yasser Araft and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed The Gaza-Jericho Agreement. Article XI established three Maritime Activity Zones that extended out to sea 20 nautical miles from the coast of Gaza. Two narrow Zones running parallel to the boundaries of Egyptian and Israeli waters were designated No Fishing Areas. Under the terms of the Agreement the larger remaining Zone "will be open for fishing, recreation and economic activities." The Gazan fishermen operated freely for the next 6 years within this Zone with no major confrontations with the Israelis.

- Late 1990's: The British Gas Group (later BG Group) began explorations off the Israeli and Gazan coasts for natural gas. A modest deposit was found in Israeli waters close to the Gaza Marine Activity Zone. A significantly larger deposit was found in a section of this Zone centered some 10 to 15 nautical miles offshore. It was estimated that there were sufficient reserves to generate electric power for all Palestinian needs for a decade and still have surplus to export.

- July 25, 2000: Yasser Arafat walked out on the Camp David meeting.

- September 27, 2000: Yasser Arafat traveled 19 miles off the Gaza coast to light the first flare stack flowing from the natural gas. An Israeli oil consortium had contested the Palestinian rights to the gas but was overturned in an Israeli court. The initial agreement with the BG Group gave them 90 percent interest and 10 percent to Consolidated Contractors Company, an Athens based Palestinian group. They and the Palestinian Investment Fund (PIF) had the option to later assume up to 40 per cent interest.

Initially BG Group negotiated with Egypt to run an undersea pipeline designed to import the gas. Under pressure from Tony Blair BG Group was forced to negotiate with the Israelis instead. Those discussions, which centered over price, have been so long and contentious that BG Group closed their Israel office and again began dealing with Egypt.

- September 28, 2000: Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount despite warnings by Arafat and other leading Palestinians. The predictable riots and deaths following this provocation marked the beginning of 2nd Intafada. Sharon was elected Prime Minister in February 2001. He vowed that Israel would never buy gas from the Palestinians. After the outbreak of the 2nd Intafada the Israelis began an ever-tightening blockade of Gaza with fewer and fewer trucks allowed to enter.

- Late 2000: Attacks by Israeli patrol boats against Gazan fishing boats began and have continued to this day. These attacks began 5 years before Hamas freely won the legislative elections on January 25, 2006. It is apparent that these assaults on the fishermen had nothing to do with security or with Hamas. Instead it had everything to do with a 4 billion dollar resource belonging to the Palestinians.

- August, 2002: In response to a request from Prime Minister Sharon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations appointed Ms. Catherine Bertini as his Personal Humanitarian Envoy to asses humanitarian needs of the Palestinians.
At the end of her visit to the area she made numerous recommendations including one that dealt with the fishing boats. In her report she included a list of "Previous Commitments Made by Israel". Item 2 states: "The fishing zone for Palestinian fishing boats off the Gaza coast is 12 nautical miles. This policy needs to be fully implemented." But never was!

- Although the attacks occurred throughout the Maritime Activity Zone they were more common once a boat had passed the 6-mile limit. Most boats now carry GPS's in order to know their exact positions. Some captains are intimidated by the Israeli threat and turn back before crossing the line. Others go further despite the increased danger from the Israelis. The fishery closer to shore has collapsed after so many boats were forced to operate in such a limited area. In addition the waters near shore are polluted due to sewage pouring in from broken pipes. One more consequence of an infrastructure crippled by the Israelis.
Since the outset of these assaults at least 14 fishermen have been killed and over 200 injured. Boats continue to be damaged or impounded.

9/12/05 - Israel announced that it had ended the occupation of Gaza and withdrew its forces. It maintained control of land and sea-lanes as well as all border crossings on land.

1/25/06 - Hamas won 76 of 132 seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council in an open honest election. After a bloody battle with Fatah elements Hamas took control of Gaza. Israel and the United States branded Hamas a terrorist organization and have had no public contact with it thereafter. The restrictions at the border crossings were tightened further with severe limitations on the traffic of produce, materials, medicines and people. Anemia and malnutrition were widespread as a result.

Early June 2008 - Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed the Israel Defense Forces to covertly prepare for an invasion of Gaza to be known as operation "Cast Lead".

June, 2008 -Israel contacted BG Group to propose reopening negotiations over the natural gas deposits. Actual negotiations overseen by Ehud Olmert were taking place in October, 2008. It appears that Israel wished to reach an agreement with BG Group before the secretly planned invasion began.

6/19/08 - Hamas and Israel signed a 6-month truce agreement calling for cessation of rocket firings by Hamas and military incursions by Israel. In May over 300 rockets had been fired. In September only 5 to 10 were fired.
Hamas was lead to believe that significant increase in shipments would be allowed to enter Gaza. Before the truce roughly 70 trucks were allowed to bring provisions into Gaza each day compared with some 900 permitted before the Israeli clamp down in 2000. Hamas believed that a similar flow of traffic would be restored. Instead Israel allowed only an increase from the 70 to 90 trucks.

11/5/08 - IDF forces killed 6 Palestinians while supposedly searching for a tunnel passing under the border. In effect the truce was over after this provocation. During the next 5 weeks 237 rockets were fired into Israel compared with the 5 to 10 fired in September. The increase in rocket fire was Israel's public justification for launching the long planned "Cast Lead" invasion.

11/18/08 - An Egyptian court ordered the government to stop shipping natural gas to Israel. Under a 2005 agreement Egypt agreed to deliver 1.7 billion cubic meters of gas to Israel over a 15-year period. The gas began to flow in May, 2008. A lawsuit followed seeking to bar delivery since the Parliament had not given its approval. The court supported the lawsuit and its findings are being appealed. The potential cutoff of the gas from Egypt gave Israel even more incentive to take control of the Gaza Marine deposits and to deny any benefits to Palestinians whether Hamas or Fatah.

11/18/08 - Israeli naval vessels attacked three Palestinian fishing boats located seven miles off the coast of Deir Al Balah, clearly within the limits permitted in the 1994 Gaza-Jericho Agreement. Fifteen Palestinian fishermen and three international observers were kidnapped and taken with the boats to Israel. The fishermen were held for a day and then released. The boats were eventually returned but damaged. The internationals were jailed in Israel for many days and then deported.

12/27/08 - Israel began bombing Gaza as phase 1 of operation "Cast Lead". The vast natural gas deposits of Gaza Marine 1 and 2 rest a few miles offshore.

To the victor the spoils one more time? Only time and perhaps the conscience of the world will determine.

Although the violations of law and basic human rights to the Gazan fishermen pale in comparison to the horrors that have unfolded they should not be forgot or forgiven. Based on the limited reports coming from Gaza due to Israeli restrictions on journalists it is possible that there are no fishing boats left or even a harbor. Perhaps justice will never be served on those who initiated and perpetuated these assaults. But let us never forget that the greed and self-interest embodied in these policies are those of a country that has lost its shame. Has lost its honor.

David K. Schermerhorn
1/12/2009
(Schermerhorn has been to Gaza 3 times in recent months aboard Free Gaza (freegaza.org) boats. He spent two days aboard fishing boats that were harassed by machine gun fire and assaulted by water cannons.)

[Bombing of Gaza Port]

Written by Vittorio Arrigoni for Il Manifesto

From the text
The Diaphanous Faces of Ghosts Demanding Justice

This is only an extract referring to the bombing of Gazan port. You can read the whole text posted on the FGM website on Sunday, 04 January 2009 10:56

The place is devastated by flames, there have been cannon shots coming from the sea and bombs raining down from the sky all morning. The same fishing boats we accompanied into the open sea just a few days ago, well beyond the six miles imposed by Israel in their illegal and criminal siege, are now reduced to charred wrecks. If the firefighters tried to put out the fires, they’d instantly become the targets of the F16’s machine guns – this already happened yesterday. After this massive attack, after having made an exact estimate of the dead (if this will ever be possible), the city will have to be rebuilt over a desert of rubble.

[A story of a Gazan fisherman]

Written by Fida Qishta

Fida Qishta lives in the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. She is a freelance journalist, filmmaker and blogger, and the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) coordinator for the Gaza Strip.

This is an extract from her diary referring to the gaza fishermen. You can read the whole text posted on the ISM website on Friday, 02 January 2009

From the thousands of stories about life in Gaza and the suffering of the people here, I was amazed by one story of Gaza’s fishermen that I heard when I was out on a fishing boat. To write a story like this you need to wake up at 5:30 am and prepare yourself to leave Rafah at 6am to be on time for the fishing trip.

The trip from Rafah to Gaza City is an hour by taxi. Normally, we share the taxi with six other people. We don’t know one another, but the strange thing is that we talk to each other as friends who see each other every day. And in that way you can hear six stories about life, about a father or a son, a mother or a daughter, a lover or a friend, about their days, or about the questions in their minds that need answers. We share the taxi to share the costs, but at the same time to share the happiness and the sadness. This is one of the things we have that people in Europe don’t.

At 7 am on my first day fishing, I wanted to be on one of the trawlers. I didn’t think it would be easy or that I would be safe, but it was worth trying, in order to see something different and a window on the world that is almost closed.

I arrived at Gaza port with one of my friends, got on the boat and started the trip, after the fishermen had prepared themselves. On the boat I realized how open the fishermen were, how much they wanted to talk about their experiences. They just needed somebody to listen, somebody to make them feel better.

While we were all chatting about different things, Ahmed, who is 20 years old, started to talk. He said, my brother was shot in the head while he was working on this boat. I remember that day very well. All of us on the boat were working, and things were going alright until an Israeli gunboat showed up and started to shoot at us. You are going to ask me, for no reason? Yes, for no reason, unless they aim to make us suffer on land and in the sea. The gunboat started to shoot directly at our boat. Ibrahim was shot in the head. Some of us were scared, and some tried to deal with Ibrahim’s wound. They were really strong to be able to deal with his injury and see all of the blood. For a while I thought he had died. But when we arrived to the port, and took him to the hospital, he was in very bad condition according to the doctors. He stayed in the emergency room for ten days, and after that it was God’s will that he survived. Since then he has not come back to fish because the accident affected him.

I asked myself since hearing this story, what is the mistake that we have made to face this fate? The Israelis always say that they fight us because we are armed. Are the nets that we use for fishing a prohibited thing, are they a weapon? If so, international law should inform us of this.

For your information, according to the Oslo Agreements, Gaza’s fishermen have the right to fish 20 miles from the shore, and according to international law we can fish 12 miles out, with or without an occupation. Then why does the Israeli Navy force these fishermen to fish no more than six miles from shore? Is this part of their siege, or another of their security reasons which have no end?

I asked another fisherman named Hassan who is 35 years old, is it really dangerous to fish? He answered, the Israelis have left me with no alternative but to die.

In the stories that I write I never try to remember the date or the time, but for some people it makes a difference to know when something happened. But for Gazans it doesn’t make any difference. It amazes me how people here survive. Maybe as we say in Arabic, a person who sees others’ miseries finds that his misery looks smaller than he imagined.

In Gaza: Updates

By Eva Bartlett

These are only extracts referring to the bombing of Gaza Port. You can read the whole report posted on the ISM webpage on: January 1, 2009


Wednesday:
[...] The port, across from where I tried to sleep, was targeted, the Port Authority building destroyed and the dock repeatedly shelled, the impact of the shells some of the closest and most deafening I’ve felt yet, rivaling the shelling 30 m from my friends home in Jabaliya which we experienced three nights ago. The target: an olive orchard in the back yard of a fence-in neighbour’s house.
10:20 am: 6 more blasts, sets of 2, direction of the port
[...]
Tuesday:

8:57 pm

missile shot from Apache lands outside the apartment we are staying in tonight, hitting the Port Authority building just 150 m away.

9:18 pm

missile shot from an Apache hits the port, 400 m from the apartment we are staying in

*drones continue to fly over this building, and over the building which I visited one hour before (near the bombed Minister’s compound)

9:33 pm

2 shots from Israeli naval boats, targets as yet unknown

9:34

3 more shots

9:40

2 more shots; “They are aiming at the breakwater in Gaza’s harbour,” Mahfouz, a sailor living just down the road, tells me: “They are warning that they are out there. They want to show us their power. They did the same thing yesterday.” [Mahfouz received a shell beside his front yard two nights ago. His family –one teenage son and several young girls, is terrified.]

[the power cuts, I’m unable to continue updating and unable to know what is happening around me]

Israeli helicopters and navy continue to fire on Gaza’s port

Posted on the ISM webpage on: December 30, 2008

The shelling of Gaza’s port continued on the evening of December 30th, as Israeli Apache helicopters began firing rockets on the area and Naval vessels continued their ongoing shelling.

Eva Bartlett, a Canadian human rights worker, heard and witnessed the attack from a building 150 meters away. She reports that the first explosion began at 9:18 pm. For the next half hour, the Naval ships and Apache helicopters continued firing intermittently. At 9:57, the intensity of the attack increased and more than 15 shells and rockets were fired in quick succession, with the Apaches specifically targeting the landing dock and the breakwater. Eyewitnesses in the area report that a Port Authority office and a boat anchored in the port were destroyed. The rockets and shelling continued into the night, while Israeli drones could also be heard circling overhead.

Gaza city port, the only port for the whole of the Gaza strip, houses a large number of Palestinian fishing boats on its piers. Many of these boats have also undoubtedly been damaged in the heavy shelling, further destabilizing the already fragile fishing industry upon which Gazans have been heavily reliant since Israel imposed its blockade on the strip in June 2007. The extent of the damage, however, is at this time indeterminable, as the continued presence of the warships in the harbor makes any assessment impossible.

This is the second time that Gaza’s port has been destroyed by Israeli bombing since construction began in 1999. Israeli Navy warships previously bombed the port in 2002, under the pretext that it could be utilized for arms smuggling. Repairs on the port were agreed upon in negotiations between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in 2005, after illegal Israeli settlements were withdrawn from Gaza, with the hope that an open sea port would not only provide a much-needed boost to Gaza’s economy, but would also function as an important symbol of Palestinian independence.

The Palestinian dream for the port – an independent harbour that would enable Gazan’s to freely import and export, creating jobs and freedom from Israel’s control of all Gazan borders – was, however, never realized. Whilst the port was repaired, Israel’s illegal control of Gazan waters continued unabated; illegally preventing Gazan boats, including fishermen, from venturing farther than 6 miles from shore, maintaining the imprisonment of Gaza. This oft-denied Israeli policy was exemplified most recently on Monday 29th December, when the Israeli Navy attacked the Free Gaza boat, “The Dignity”, in international waters as it attempted to carry 3 tonnes of desperately-needed medical aid into Gaza’s now-ruined port.

The destruction of the port has rendered humanitarian missions such as these even more difficult. Should further boats manage break the Israeli blockade, there is now nowhere left to unload

Journal: Attacks last night in Gaza [Port]

By Sharon in Gaza

This is an extract from her journal referring only to the attacks against the Gaza Port. You can read the whole journal posted on ISM webpage on the December 29, 2008.

In Gaza I went to see the Kabariti family in the port area, who you will recall hosted us for Christmas Eve. They confirmed the entire Gaza coast was shelled all night from about 1am, with the shells apparently coming from Israeli ships too far out at sea to be visible. We could see this happening from the top of Al Awda hospital, counting 14 shells in a row at one point to the little port where the Dignity docks. Any boats linked to the government were bombed, as well as several which weren’t, including that belonging to human rights defender Dr Eyyad Saraj. When the extinguisher boat tried to put out resulting fires, it was bombed. The port offices were bombed. The Kabariti family, whose 6 children range from 4 to 18 years old, had spent a frightened night and appeared exhausted. As they talked to me this morning, another missile hit the port across the road.

IOF Arrest a Fisherman off Rafah Coast

http://www.mezan.ps/en/details.php?id=5831&id2=3

17-12-2008

Israeli naval vessel arrested a fisherman, Zoheer Farahat, at approximately 7am Wednesday 17 December 2008. Witnesses reported that the fisherman was only 500 meters from the beach when a group of Israeli soldiers approached him in a rubber boat and opened fire at his fishing boat. Using a megaphone, the soldiers ordered Farahat to drive his boat west into the sea. When he was about 2 kilometers into the sea, they ordered him to take off his clothes, grab a robe that they threw in the water for him, and swim towards their boat. The fisherman was arrested and taken north. He was releases later at 3pm, and reported to Al Mezan that he was taken to the city of Ashdod, where he was interrogated. He was then dropped at Erez Crossing, north of the Gaza Strip and released. However, his boat and fishing nets were held by the Israeli navy.