Ref: 28/2015
Date: 03 June 2015
Time: 11:35 GMT

On Wednesday, 03 June 2015, Israeli gunboats chased and opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing off Gaza City shore. Israeli navy forces arrested 4 fishermen and seized 2 fishing boats. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the Israeli attacks against Palestinian fishermen that deny them their right to freely practice fishing in the Gaza Sea. PCHR also expresses its fears over the continued Israeli policy of targeting fishermen’s livelihoods in light of the illegal naval blockade imposed on Gaza Sea.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 02:00 on Wednesday, 03 June 2015, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 6 nautical miles off Deir al-Balah shore in the central Gaza Strip. An Israeli gunboat then approached a fishing boat on board of which 4 fishermen were. Israeli navy forces forced the 4 fishermen to stop, jump into the water and swim towards the gunboat. They arrested them and seized 2 fishing boats. The arrested fishermen were identified as: Hassan Ali Murad (30), Hassan Abdul Rahman Abu Sam’an (19), Haitham Tareq Baker (27) and Mohammed Tareq Baker (20). They are all from Gaza City.

PCHR condemns the violations committed by the Israeli navy forces against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip, and calls upon Israeli forces to:

1. Immediately stop its policy of chasing and arresting Palestinian fishermen, to allow them to sail and fish freely, and to return confiscated fishing boats and tools;
2. Pay compensation to the victims of Israel’s violations for the physical and material damage caused to fishermen and their property;
3. Release Palestinian fishermen who have been under the Israeli custody; and
4. Calls upon the international community, including the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949, to intervene in order to stop Israeli violation against Palestinian fishermen and allow them to fish freely in the Gaza Strip sea.