Ref: 94/2011

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns ongoing
Israeli attacks targeting Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip, and
expresses grave concern regarding the escalation of these attacks in recent
days. This escalation has resulted in the injury and arrest of a number of
fishermen, and the confiscation of a number of fishing boats. Detained
fishermen were questioned, pressured to provide security information and
collaborate with Israeli forces, and subject to cruel and degrading treatment.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately
06:15 on Sunday, 11 September 2011, two Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to
al-Waha Resort, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, surrounded
two Palestinian boats. There were eight
fishermen, including two boys, on board the two boats. The gunboats opened fire
on the two Palestinian boats. As a
result, two fishermen were wounded by shrapnel. Israeli naval forces arrested the eight fishermen after forcing them to
take their clothes off and jump into water, confiscated their boats and sailed
to Ashdod Port in Israel. Hassan Khader
Hassan Baker, 53; and his sons Khader, 29; Ja’far, 27; and Mohammed, 21; and
‘Allam Naser Fadel Baker, 16, were on the first boat. Khalil Jawher Khalil
Baker, 21; Mohammed Majed Fadel Baker, 19; and Mohammed Suheil Fadel Baker, 17
were on the second. 

At approximately 18:00 on the same day, Israeli forces released
‘Allam Naser Baker; Mohammed Majed Baker; and Mohammed Suheil Baker, who was
wounded by shrapnel in the right thigh during his arrest. They were released
via Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing. Approximately 3 hours later, Israeli forces released Hassan Khader
Baker, who was wounded by shrapnel in his left hand during his arrest, and his
sons Ja’far, Mohammed and Khader; Khalil Jawhar Baker via Beit Hanoun (Erez)
after they were questioned regarding their work. In his testimony to PCHR, a released
fisherman stated that Israeli forces blindfolded the fishermen when
transporting them to Ashdod Port and handcuffed them all with iron chains. He added that after four hours of waiting
under cruel conditions, they were subjected to questioning and that
interrogators offered them money in order to collaborate with the Israeli
Internal Security Service (Shin Bet).

At approximately 07:15, on 13 September 2011, Israeli gunboats
sailing opposite to al-Sudaniya coast, west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza
Strip, opened fire at Palestinian boats. The Palestinian fishermen were able to escape in great fear of being
arrested or wounded.

The Israeli attacks against the Palestinian fishermen and their
property have increased since the beginning of this year and there has been a
dramatic rise in the number and form of attacks. Since the beginning of the year, PCHR has
documented 61 attacks against fishermen at sea in the Gaza Strip. PCHR has also documented 38 cases of
shooting, including five that resulted in injury to eight fishermen; five cases
involving chasing fishermen that resulted in arrest of 18 fishermen; and 19
cases that led to the confiscation and damage to boats and fishing tools.

It should be noted that Israeli forces have imposed more
restrictions on the work of fishermen in the Gaza Strip. Since 2000, fishermen have been prevented
from exercising their right to sail and fish.. Israeli forces reduced the area of fishing from 20 nautical miles, which
was agreed upon in the agreements signed between the Palestinian and Israeli
sides, to six nautical miles in 2008. Israeli forces have continued to prevent fishermen from going beyond
three nautical miles since 2009. Hence fishermen are prevented from reaching
areas beyond that distance where fish are abundant. Sometimes, Israeli forces chase fishermen
within three nautical miles. As a result, the Palestinian fishermen have lost
85% of their income because of limiting the fishing area.

In light of the above, PCHR:

1- Condemns
the recurrence of violations recently committed by the Israeli naval forces
against the Palestinian fishermen. PCHR
believes that these violations are committed in the context of the escalation
of collective punishment policies against civilians, and they are part of fighting
the civilians in their means of subsistence, a matter that is prohibited under
the international humanitarian law and international human rights law;

2- Calls
upon Israeli forces to immediately stop the policy of chasing and arresting the
Palestinian fishermen and to allow them to sail and fish freely;

3- Calls
upon Israeli forces to return the confiscated boats to their owners immediately
and compensate them for the damage of trapping the boats for a long time or for
any other damage that might have incurred to them;

4- Calls
for paying compensations to the victims of the Israeli violations for the
physical and material damage caused to fishermen and their property;

5- Calls
upon the international community, including the United Nations and its agencies,
to assume their legal and moral responsibility through immediate and urgent
intervention to stop all the Israeli violations, including the ongoing naval
blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and deprival of fishermen of over 85% of
their livelihood through limiting the fishing area to three nautical
miles.