Ref: 86/2023

Date: 12 August 2023

Time: 11:30 GMT

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the continued Israeli attacks against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Sea that constitute a 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 05:00 on Saturday, 12 August 2023, Israeli gunboats stationed off the northwestern Beit Lahia shore, north of the Gaza Strip, heavily opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats and surrounded one of them belonging to fisherman Shareef Mohammed ‘Abed al-Sultan (50). Sharif’s son, Oranous (27), and Mohammed Rafi Ahmed al-Sultan (14), from al-Salateen neighborhood, were on board sailing within 2 nautical miles when Israeli naval forces ordered them to take off their clothes, jump into the sea and swim towards the gunboat. They were taken to Ashdod Seaport while their fishing boat and equipment were confiscated.

In a separate incident at around 08:00 on 03 August 2023, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Waha shore, northwest of Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats. As a result, fisherman Eyad Hamza Hasan Kaskeen (22), from al-Shat’I refugee camp in western Gaza City, was injured with a rubber-coated bullet in left side of his waist while fishing within 2 nautical miles, and his injury was deemed minor. Also, the boat engine sustained slight damage in addition to the engine of another boat belonging to fisherman Khaled Abu Riyalah.

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 11 fishermen, arrest of 19 others, confiscation of 5 fishing boats and damage inflected to 4 other boats.

PCHR emphasizes that the Israeli practices against the 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, allow fishermen to fish freely, 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 IOF’s custody.