Ref: 32/2018

On Monday, 12 March 2018, Israeli gunboats chased and opened fire at 3 Palestinian fishing boats sailing off Rafah shore in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli naval forces then arrested 11 fishermen, including a child, and confiscated the fishing boats manned by them. the Israeli ongoing attacks against Palestinian fishermen refute the Israeli claims of expanding the fishing area in the Gaza Sea.

According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR’s) investigations, at approximately 05:00 on Monday morning, 12 March 2018, the Israeli gunboats stationed off Rafah shore in the southern Gaza Strip, chased and opened fire at 3 Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 6 nautical miles. The Israeli gunboats heavily opened fire at the boats and then arrested 11 fishermen, including a child, and confiscated the boats manned by them.

The arrested fishermen were identified as: ‘Adel Ibrahim Meqdad (23); his brothers ‘Ala’a (21) and Mohammed (25); Ibrahim ‘Adel Meqdad (23); his brother Mohammed (33); Mohammed Na’mat Meqdad (33); Mohammed Farhat ‘Ashour (27); Ahmed Mohammed Tabasi (29); Amin Sa’adi Jom’ah (24); Mohammed Shaker Meqdad (20) and Ahmed Ziyad al-Bardawil (15).

In light of the above, PCHR strongly condemns the Israeli ongoing attacks against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip and:

1. Calls for Immediately ending Israeli violations against fishermen and allowing them to sail and fish freely in the Gaza Sea;
2. Releasing those fishermen arrested by Israeli forces; and
3. Calls upon the international community, including the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, to intervene to stop all Israeli violations against fishermen and allow them to fish freely in the Gaza Sea.