Ref: 77/2023

Date: 24 July 2023

Time: 12:30 GMT

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the continued Israeli attacks against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Sea in blatant violation of all international conventions and instruments, harming their livelihood and exacerbating their economic and social conditions.

According to PCHR’s follow-up, at approximately 10:00 on Monday, 24 July 2023, Israeli gunboats surrounded a fishing boat off al-Waha shore, northwest of Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip. The fishing boat belongs to fisherman Tariq ‘Abdul-Razeq Bakr (60) as his four sons: Haitham (35), Amjad (32), Jaber (22) and Firas (19), were on board, all of them are residents of Al-Remal neighborhood, west of Gaza City. The Four fishermen were sailing within 3 nautical miles when they were arrested and taken to Ashdod Seaport and their fishing boat was confiscated.

In another incident, on Sunday morning, 23 July 2023, Israeli gunboats opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats sailing off al-Sudaniyya shore, west of Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip. As a result, fisherman Mohammad Yousuf Hamza Al-Hissi (22), from al-Shati refugee camp, was wounded with a rubber-coated bullet in his left shoulder while he was sailing within 1.5 nautical mile offshore. Al-Hissi was taken to Al-Shifa Hospital, where his wound was deemed minor.

It is noteworthy that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) restrict Palestinian fishermen’s work and allow them to sail only within 6 to 12 nautical miles in the western Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of 2023, PCHR has documented injury of 9 fishermen, arrest of 10 others, confiscation of 8 fishing boats and damage to 2 other boats.

PCHR emphasizes that the Israeli practices against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip constitute a grave breach of all international conventions and instruments, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. PCHR reiterates its call on the international community, including the States Parties to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, to obligate the Israeli occupation authorities to cease attacks and pursuit of Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza waters, as well as allowing fishermen to fish freely. Moreover, PCHR calls upon the Israeli authorities to compel Israel to release the fishermen detained in the Israeli prisons, compensate all fishermen for the losses incurred due to the continued Israeli attacks and release the fishing boats and equipment in their custody.