Ref: 107/2011

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)
condemns the Israeli Navy’s escalation of attacks against Palestinian fishermen
in the Gaza Strip that resulted in damages to fishing tools and equipment,
detention of two fishermen and confiscation of their boat. Besides, the two fishermen were questioned,
cruelly and degradingly treated and prevented from sailing and working
freely. PCHR calls upon the
international community to immediately put an end to these violations and exert
pressure on the Israel to stop the policy of fighting civilians, including
fishermen, in their livelihood.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR
and testimonies of eyewitnesses, at approximately 03:30 on Thursday, 27 October
2011, Israeli warplanes targeted a “container”, which is used to
store fishing equipment and tools. As a
result, the container was completely destroyed and fishing nets and a water
tank were burnt. The container belongs
to Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Shammala, 56, from Khan Yunis. This attack took place when Israeli gunboats
surrounded two fishermen on board of a boat, two nautical miles off Khan Yunis
shore.  The Israeli naval troops opened
fire at the boat and arrested Mosa Ibrahim Isma’il Abu Jayyab, 42, and Ahmed
Omar Isma’il Taneera, 21, from Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, after
forcing them to stop fishing, jump into the water and swim towards the Israeli
gunboat. The Israeli troops confiscated
the boat and fishing equipment and transported them to Ashdod Seaport in
Israel, while the two fishermen have been detained so far.

The Israeli Navy has escalated attacks against
the Palestinian fishermen in Gaza since the beginning of this year. These attacks have remarkably increased in
terms of number and kind. Since the
beginning of this year, PCHR has documented 67 attacks against fishermen,
including 40 firing incidents, five of which resulted in wounding eight
fishermen who were transferred to hospitals for treatment. Additionally, PCHR has documented five
incidents of chasing fishermen that resulted in arresting 18 fishermen, and 14
incidents of confiscation of boats and / or damaging fishing equipment.

It should be noted that the Israeli Navy has
imposed restrictions on fishermen at sea, including denying then the right to
sail and fish since 2000. The Israeli
Navy also minimized the area allowed for fishing in Gaza sea from 20 to 6
nautical miles in 2008; however, the Israeli naval troops keep preventing
Palestinian fishermen from going beyond three nautical miles in Gaza sea since
2009, and sometimes chase them in this area as well. As a result, Palestinian fishermen are denied
access to areas beyond the three miles, due to which they have lost 85% of
their subsistence.

In light of the above, PCHR:

1- Condemns the
recurrence of such attacks against the Palestinian fishermen, and believes that
they are part of the escalation of collective punishment against
civilians. Besides, they have been
carried out in the context of fighting the civilians in their livelihood, which
is prohibited under the international humanitarian law and international human
rights law;

2- Calls upon
the Israeli Navy to immediately release the detained fishermen and their boat,
to stop the policy of chasing and arresting fishermen and to allow them to fish
freely in Gaza sea;

3- Calls for
reparations to the victims for the physical and material damages caused to
fishermen and their property;

4- Calls upon
the international community, including the United Nations agencies, to assume
their legal and moral responsibility through an immediate and prompt
intervention to stop all the Israeli violations, including the ongoing naval
blockade and deprival of fishermen of over 85% of their livelihood by limiting
the area allowed for fishing to three nautical miles.