Khamis, injured by the Israeli navy while fishing in the waters of Gaza

by Rosa Schiano
27 March 2012 | il Blog di Oliva

A Palestinian fisherman, Khamis Baker, was injured on Sunday morning when the Israeli navy opened fire on a group of Palestinian fishing boats in the waters of Gaza.
The Khamis family’s home, in Al-Shati camp (“Beach” camp), is poorly lit , the ceiling falls into pieces, and there is no glass on the windows.

Khamis Baker, Gazan fisherman - Photo courtesy of Rosa Schiano, 2012

Khamis has a bandage on his forehead. The doctors sewed his wound with three stitches. A group of children crowded the room during our visit.
“Every day we face difficulties” Khamis began to tell us. ” Every day we face the fire of the Israeli navy which wants to prevent us from fishing. ”
Khamis was on the boat with his 16 year old son and three cousins.
“The previous day I sent my son to the gasoline station, we decided to go fishing on Sunday morning. While we were at sea, the Israeli Navy started to shoot using water cannons. Suddenly my son told me that there was blood on my face, I was wounded.”
“It was a waste of time and gasoline, -Khamis continues, – hours and hours spent at the gasoline station in order to get the fuel.
The Israeli navy ship fired continuously  since the morning and it turned quickly around our boats in order to create waves.”
Khamis and the other fishermen were in the “permitted” area, designated by Israel within three nautical miles from the coast. Nonetheless, the soldiers were shouting to them, “Go to the south, go away.”
There were more than twenty fishing boats at sea. But because they could not fish anymore, they all went back to the port.
Khamis has worked for thirty years as a fisherman and has nine children. In the same home live also the families of his relatives, totaling about one hundred people. They all depend on fishing.
I ask Khamis how much they can gain from fishing. “150 shekels,” he answers me which is the equivalent of $40, “but half of it goes to pay the gasoline only. The rest is divided by five, so we gain a maximum of 20 shekels each.”
Khamis tells us that there is no way to fish beyond three miles. The Israeli navy ships arrive quickly. Once their boat overturned and they felt in the sea.
I finally ask Khamis if he feels like sending a message to the international community.
“We demand at least a guarantee for our future, we need to live in safety, we ask at least a guarantee for the security of our children.We do not ask anything,  just to end the siege, because the Palestinian people suffer and die because of it. Every fisherman suffers from this situation.”
Khamis is just one of the many fishermen injured by the Israeli navy in the waters of Gaza.Israel regularly attacks the Palestinian fishermen within the limit of three nautical miles and prevents them from fishing by using firearms and water cannons.The restrictions on the fishing area have a significant impact on the subsistence of the fishermen of Gaza. This area should extend for 20 nautical miles according to the Jericho Agreements of 1994 (under the Oslo agreements), but was then reduced to 12 miles, then 6 and finally at 3 miles in January 2009. The “buffer zone” of water imposed by Israel prevents the Gaza fishermen from accessing the 85% of the marine area  that the Oslo agreement entitles them to use.

Rosa Schiano is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement.

Updated on March 29, 2012

Ministry: Israel detained 14 Gazans in February

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces detained 14 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip during February, including five fishermen and a cancer patient, according to report by the ministry of prisoners affairs in the Hamas-run government.

Researcher Riyad Al-Ashqar said the number of Gaza detainees rose to 21 during 2012.

Five men were detained in eastern Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip near the borders with Israel, he said. They were identified as Marwan Ahmad al-Sufi, Abdullah Muhammad al-Sufi, Ashraf al-Sufi, Muhammad Abu Athira and Saddam Abu Athira, all from Rafah.

Three other young men from Al-Bureij refugee camp, he added, were detained as they were allegedly trying to infiltrate into Israel to look for work.

Furthermore, al-Ashqar added that five fishermen were detained off the coast in three separate operations by Israeli navy. They were forced to undress and jump into the sea water to come close to the Israeli naval boats.

They were taken to Ashdod port for interrogation before they were released five hours later. Al-Ashqar identified them as Adham Mahmoud Abu Riyala, Mahmoud Mahmoud Abu Riyala, Ahmad Zayid, Jamal al-Sultan and his son Fadil.

The Gaza government official added that amongst the detainees was 22-year-old Kamil Hikmat Taramsi from Gaza City. The man was detained at Erez crossing while he was heading to seek treatment from cancer in Israeli hospitals.

PCHR weekly report 23/2 - 29/2/2012:

extract from PCHR weekly report 23/2 - 29/2/2012

IOF have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen at sea.
IOF opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the shore of Deir al-Balah and confiscated fishing nets.


Sunday, 26 February 2012 

At approximately 18:00, IOF gunboats opened fire at a number of Palestinian fishermen who were fishing 2,000 meters off the shore of Deir al-Balah.  The fishermen were accordingly forced to move approximately 450 meters to the east in fear for their lives but IOF confiscated fishing nets belonging to Samir Nustafa Suleiman al-Aqraa, 42, from Deir al-Balah, and Yousef Mohammed Musa al-Aqraa, 52, from Deir al-Balah.

 Monday, 27 February 2012

At approximately 18:00, IOF gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishermen who were fishing 2,000 meters off the shore of Deir al-Balah.  The fishermen sailed to the east and fled to the shore in fear for their lives.

Israeli Gunboats Open Fire at Palestinian Fishing Boats off Coast of Deir Al Balah

Al Mezan

27-2-2012

At approximately 6:00 pm on Monday 27 February 2012, Israeli naval vessels patrolling the Gaza sea opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats which were in the waters off the coast of Deir Al Balah in Middle Gaza district.  The firing frightened the fishermen on the boats and they sailed to land immediately.  No casualties or injuries were reported.

Also, at approximately 6:30 pm on the preceding day, Sunday 26 February 2012, Israeli naval vessels fired on Palestinian boats in the same area, frightening the fishermen into returning to land.  Israeli forces confiscated a number of fishing nets in this incident.

The Palestinian boats were inside the zone in which Israel officially allows fishing when its forces opened fire at them.

 

CPSGaza Report - 25 February 2012

CPSGaza

26 February 2012

The Oliva left the Gaza Seaport at 4.00 pm, on board his Palestinian captain, two international observers from CPS Gaza and an international visitor.

At 4.40 pm, the Oliva was about 2 nautical miles offshores, it observed an Israeli navy vessel, which was getting close to the fishermen and continuing to move at high speed among their boats, telling them to go away.
When the Oliva reached the fishermen, the Israeli ship backed off.

At 4.51 pm, the fishermen informed Oliva’s crew that an Israeli navy vessel had opened fire at their boats before that they reached three nautical miles from shore.

At about 5.00 pm, Oliva observed the Israeli navy vessel moving at high rate of speed towards the fishermen.

At 5.14 pm the Israeli vessel started to shoot towards the fishermen. Then, the Israeli navy vessel backed off.

At 5.30 pm, Oliva observed the Israeli vavy vessel starting to move toward the fishermen and shooting in the water.

At 5.52 pm, Oliva observed the Israeli navy vessel shooting towards a trawler.

At 6.20 pm Oliva returned to the port of Gaza.

As reported by some fishermen, the Israeli soldiers threatened to target their boats if they keep communicating with the Oliva's international crew.

Background:

Restrictions on the fishing zone are of extreme significance to Palestinian livelihoods. This area was supposed to be 20 miles according to the Jericho agreements from 1994 (under the Oslo accords), then it was reduced to 12 miles, to 6 miles and now to 3 miles since January 2009.
The marine ‘buffer zone’ restricts Gazan fishermen from accessing 85% of Gaza’s fishing waters agreed to by Oslo.

Israel has been regularly attacking Palestinian fishermen within the purported 3 nautical mile fishing limit.
The livelihood of many Gazans relies on fishing and Israel has been using live ammunition and water cannons to prevent fishermen from doing their work.
The Israeli Siege continues after more than 4 years, limiting the sea area available for the Gaza population.

The Civil Peace Services continue monitoring potential human rights violations on the sea along the Gaza Strip.

 

5 Palestinian fishermen arrested by Israeli Navy, one of them a 13 year old boy

by Rosa Schiano
16 February 2012 | il Blog di Oliva

In the past few days five Gazan fishermen have been arrested by the Israeli Navy off the north coast of Gaza.

Adham Mahmoud Abu Ryada, 22, and his brother Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Ryala, 13, were both arrested on Sunday evening. Jamal Ramadan Al Sultan, 58 and his son Fadel Jamal Al-Sultan, 21, were arrested on Monday morning. Ahmed Mohammed Zayed, 27, was arrested on Tuesday morning.

Adham Mahmoud Abo Ryada, 22 years old, and Mohammed Mahmoud Abo Ryada, 13 years old | Photo courtesy of Rosa Schiano, 2012

Last night we visited the family of Adham and Mohammed Abu Ryada in Beach Camp, Gaza City. Gaza is without power, they welcomed us in a room lit only by candlelight. Their father started telling us their story.

It was 7 PM on Sunday evening when the two boys were gathering their nets from the sea to sail home. A strong wind had pushed the boat over three nautical miles from the coast.

The Israeli Navy came close to their boat and started shooting.

They tried to escape but they couldn’t.

The Israeli soldiers, as they usually do, asked them to undress, to dive into the water and come on board the navy ship.

Once they were on the ship, the soldiers blindfolded them and tied their hands. They could not see anything until they reached the port of Ashdod in Israel, at around 10 or 11 PM.

The soldiers led them into a room where they remained for 30 minutes. Then the soldiers checked their bodies with an electronic device and questioned them.

During interrogation, they asked them questions about the police in the port of Gaza and to “collaborate” with Israel. They also asked if their neighbors were involved in activities against Israel. Adham said he did not know anything.

After the interrogation, the soldiers took them on a bus to a crossing point unknown to them. After an hour and a half they were put on another bus and the soldiers left them at Erez to walk home.

The two brothers slept outside the gate.

Their clothes were thin, they were cold, Adham tried to cover his little brother.

The soldiers on the ship had given them only a couple of t-shirts of very thin cloth.

They did not know which way to go. So they slept till 6.00 AM, and then, in the daylight, they walked to the Palestinian security office. Finally, Adham could contact one of his brothers who came to pick them up.

His young brother, Mohammed, sits with his eyes wide open. He’s telling us that Israeli soldiers asked him, trying to make him afraid, saying, ”What will your father tell you when you return without the boat?”

Mohammed says he doesn’t want to work as a fisherman anymore.

“After my experience, I do not want to be a fisherman, I’m afraid. It’s the first time I saw something like that; I will not be a fisherman.”

He has been fishing with his brothers since he was six years old. Mohammed shows a small wound on his left leg, he was injured while climbing onto the Israeli naval vessel.

His father says, “We can’t do anything. We can no longer work. Our life has stopped.”

Eighteen people relied on that boat. The soldiers took everything, nets and fish.

The soldiers told them, “We will call you to return your boat.” But they know that it will never happen.

“We want our nets back, we want to go on fishing and we would like them to let us live,” adds their father.

–

Yesterday we went to Beit Lahia to visit the family of the two other fishermen, arrested on Monday morning, while fishing in the waters north of Gaza.

Ramadan Al Sultan, 58 and Ahmed Mohammed Zayed, 27 | Photos courtesy Rosa Schiano, 2012

Jamal Ramadan Al Sultan is a 58 year old man. His eyes are intensely expressive. With him is also another fisherman arrested on Tuesday morning, Ahmed Mohammed Zayed, 27 years.

In spite of the veil of sadness covering their eyes, they tell us their story with a sense of humor, their strength.

Ahmed starts sharing with us his experience. He was alone on his rowing boat.

He was arrested on Tuesday morning at 6.00 AM. He was collecting his nets on his boat before coming home. An Israeli naval ship approached the vessel and asked him to stop. He tried to escape but the Israeli soldiers started shooting. They hit two floats for his net on his boat. Ahmed stopped.

They asked him to undress and jump into the water. Ahmed refused to jump in the water because he cannot swim well. The soldiers started firing again. He was forced to jump in the water and they threw him a life preserver. Once on the ship, the soldiers tied his hands and blindfolded him. They started moving slowly toward Ashdod. He felt pain in his wrists because they had been handcuffed very tightly. He asked the soldiers to loosen the handcuffs and take the blindfold off. They reached the port of Ashdod and took him into a room where he remained for 30 minutes. Then, they checked his hands with an electronic device and checked his blood pressure. Ahmed was then questioned.

The first question was about his family, the number and names of his brothers. Ahmed forgot to tell the name of the last brother, who was born recently. The soldiers then started accusing him to be a liar, “You’re a liar, what about Youssef? He’s a month old!”

Ahmed replied: “No, he’s two months old.” Then they asked information about his district and the harbor police. One of the people who was questioning him asked, “Do you want me to tell you things?” Implying they already knew everything to intimidate him, those who questioned him already knew all about his family.

Then Ahmed replied: “Why are you asking me if you already know everything?”

“Because I want to know if you are a liar or not,” the interrogator answered.

Then they showed him a large map and started questioning about some areas in Gaza.

They also asked questions about a water treatment plant. Ahmed told them, “That’s a waterworks.”

“No, it’s a waste facility,” they replied.

They continued asking information about the port police in Soudania and about the port office in Gaza. Then, they pointed on the map to the area where he lives. One of the people questioning him pointed to his brother’s shop.

They told him, “Where do you want to go?” and they showed him the spot where his car was parked. Then they asked him if he wanted to go to an area called Birlnaaja, Ahmed replied “I do not know that area.”

Then, they asked for his phone number. Ahmed replied he had lost his phone, but he could tell them his number. Then they asked for his family’s phone numbers. Ahmed said he could not remember the phone numbers of his family members. The person who questioned him told him he was a liar and said, “I want to have your phone number to return the boat back to you.”

Ahmed gave him the number of the phone he had lost. Then, the person who was questioning him called a soldier to take him away and put a blindfold on him. Ahmed said he could not keep the blindfold on because he suffers from an eye problem. The soldier answered, “These are the orders, but I will not tie it too tightly,” then he added “Take care of your wife and your children” and asked Ahmed to become “friends.”

To become “friends” means to provide them with information, to become “collaborators” with Israel. Ahmed said “No, I do not want that”.

He asked him if he was happy.

Ahmed replied, “If you release me now and I lose the boat, I will still be happy without your friendship.”

The person who was questioning then asked him to take a taunting message to the Internal Security of Hamas: “You cannot work with computers now, because you have no electricity”.

Then the soldiers led Ahmed in the same room where he was before. Ahmed told them he was not feeling well. A soldier gave him some mint to drink, then the soldier left Ahmed alone for an hour. Suddenly two men entered the room and asked him to get up. They grabbed him violently and tied his legs with manacles. They asked him to walk with them to the bus. Ahmed could not get on the bus, because his legs were manacled. “I cannot get on” he said. The soldiers replied, “You must get on.” Ahmed was forced to get on the buy by crawling on his knees. On the bus, the soldiers told him to fasten his seatbelt. “I cannot,” replied Ahmed, “my hands are tied.” A soldier fastened his seat belt. Once arrived at Erez, the soldiers delivered Ahmed to a person in a civilian uniform who started making fun of him. “How was the fish today?”, Ahmed replied “You took my boat, now I will go home to sleep with my family.”

The soldiers gave him the papers stating the limit of three miles in the waters of Gaza and the limit at the northern border with Ashdod, telling him to deliver those papers to the other fishermen. At the exit gate they told him to walk looking straight ahead “If you look away we’ll shoot you.”

Then Ahmed began to run. He met some Palestinians and walked with them up to the Palestinian security office. Then he went to the internal security for questioning. After questioning he returned home.

We ask him if he wants to send a message to the international community.

“I ask you to support us to get the boats back. Our life has stopped because it depends on that boat. And I ask for support for the Palestinians every day.”

Ahmed has two sons, 2 and 3 years old.
It is the fourth time he was stopped by Israeli soldiers, “I cannot count how much pain I have received from Israel.” He has worked as a fisherman since he was 13 years old. “This is my work. I will continue to work in the sea,” concludes Ahmed.
–
Finally, Jamal, who was arrested on Monday morning, told us his experience.

Jamal was on a rowing boat with his son, they had the same experience as other fishermen, Israeli soldiers stopped them, asked them to jump into the water and took them to Ashdod. They showed them a map, this time not on paper, but on a computer screen and asked for information. Jamal told us that they offered him drinks and medicines, but he refused, he would not swallow anything he was offered.

Jamal and his son stood 30 minutes in a room, then, they were interrogated.

Then the soldiers took them to Erez where they were subjected to another interrogation. The interrogator asked him about their family and how many sons he had.

Jamal answered that he has 8 sons. The interrogator said him “No, you have 9 sons”. Jamal replied: “No, you killed my son during Cast Lead in a school”.

They started to tell him that his son was a fighter.

Jamal’s son was 27 years old when he was killed with 3 others young men in UNRWA school targeted by a missile, three years ago during Cast Lead.

During Cast Lead a lot of people took refuge in the schools to be safe, but Israel bombed the schools indiscriminately.

The interrogators asked him for information about the Palestinian resistance and the training camps.

Jamal answered he didn’t know. “We know”, they answered him and they asked him about the places from which the resistance fires missiles. “I don’t know”, answered Jamal.

They asked him if he wanted to eat, but he refused. They offered him their “friendship”: “If you have any information you will be happy”. They took him to the gate, he went to the Palestinian security office and he came back home. His son was still at the Hamas Internal Security office to be interrogated.

We asked Jamal if he felt like to send a message to the outside world. He stated

All the fishermen suffer from this situation, we face all these troubles in the sea, we try to feed our families, we try to survive. The international community must support the Palestinian case to stop this siege, because we are under siege in the sea, in the air, and on our land.

Rosa Schiano is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement.

PCHR weekly report 9/2 - 15/2/2012: 5 fishermen abducted, 3 boats stolen, boat hit by gunfire, nets lost

extract from PCHR weekly report 9/2 - 15/2/2012

IOF have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip. 
IOF arrested 5 fishermen, including a child.
IOF confiscated 3 fishing boats. 

Sunday, 12 February 2012 

At approximately 19:00, IOF positioned at sea off al-Waha resort in the north of the Gaza Strip arrested two Palestinian fishermen who were sailing a boat 2 miles of the shore.  The arrested fishermen are Adham Mahmoud Abu Reyala, 22, and his brother Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Reyala, 13, from al-Shati refugee camp.

Monday, 13 February 2012  

At approximately 07:10, IOF gunboats positioned of al-Waha resort, northwest of Beit Lahia in the north of the Gaza Strip, opened extensive fire at Palestinian fishing boats.  Then they surrounded the two boats driven by Jamal Ramadan Hassan al-Sultan, 60, and his son Fadel, 22, from al-Salatin neighborhood in Beit Lahia.  The two fishermen were sailing 500 meters from the shore.  IOF arrested al-Sultan and his son and transferred them by a military boat to Ashdod Port.  IOF also confiscated al-Sultan's boats. 

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

At approximately 06:30, IOF gunboats positioned off al-Waha resort, northwest of Beit Lahia in the north of the Gaza Strip, opened extensive fire at Palestinian fishing boats.  They surrounded a Palestinian fishing boat driven by Ahmed Mohammed Mohammed Zayed, 28, from al-Salatin neighborhood in Beit Lahia.  Ahmed was only 400 meters from the shore.  IOF forced Ahmed to take his clothes off, jump into the water and swim to their gunboat.  They tied the fishing boat to the gunboat and confiscated it.  They transferred Ahmed to Ashdod Port in Israel. Ahmed has not been released yet.

Mahmoud is Ahmed's brother. He reported that he left home with Ahmed at approximately 04:00 on the same day.  They walked till they arrived at the fishermen's room on the shore, north of al-Waha resort.  At approximately 05:45, they took 2 fishing boats and sailed with many other fishermen.  When Mohammed was 350 meters from the shore and when Ahmed was 500 meters from the shore, they threw the fishing nets.  They started to withdraw the nets at approximately 06:15.  In the meanwhile, they saw two Israeli gunboats coming from the north to them.  Mohammed and Ahmed withdrew their nets rapidly and started sailing to the shore.  The gunboats were firing as they were coming closer to Palestinian fishing boats.  Mohammed was 150 meters far from the shore when he looked behind him.  He found out that the two gunboats were two close from his brother Ahmed who was 400 meters from the shore.  When Mohammed arrived at the shore, he saw Ahmed taking his clothes off, jumping into the sea and swimming to one of the gunboats.  The gunboats were only 10 meters to the north of Ahmed's boat.  The soldiers on the gunboats then tied Ahmed's boat to one of the gunboats and withdraw it to the north.  It should be noted that this is the season for the catch of sardine and this season is of significant importance to Palestinian fishermen.  Israeli violations of this kind deny Palestinian fishermen access to their main source of income. 

 At approximately 19:00, IOF opened fire at Palestinian fishermen sailing 1,500 meters off al-Soudaneya area, north of Gaza City.   The fishermen were forced to sail 5,000 meters to the south and wait in the sea till the morning of the following day when they sailed back to look for their nets.  They were unable to find the nets and IOF fired at them every time they went to look for these nets.  It should be noted that IOF confiscated 5 fishing nets and tore 700 meters of fishing nets belonging to Subhi Ibrahim Kamel Abdo, 32, a fisherman from al-Nuseirat. Also a fishing boat belonging to a member of the Bakr family was hit by bullets fired by IOF.