Ref: 142/2011
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the placing
of large floats by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) 3 miles from the Gaza Strip
seashore, beyond which Palestinian fishermen are banned from sailing. This measure serves to institutionalize the
siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, and enhances IOF’s control over the Gaza
Strip’s regional water. PCHR warns that
this measure will lead to more attacks by IOF against Palestinian fishermen,
depriving them of their means of subsistence, under the pretest of sailing
beyond the sea floats.
PCHR has obtained affidavits from a number of Palestinian fishermen
in the Gaza Strip, in which they expressed concerns that such Israeli measures
would tighten the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip and restrict their work by
limiting the permissible fishing area to only 3 nautical miles.
According to Mr. Mohammed Subhi al-Hissi, Head of the Union of
Fishermen in Gaza City, the Israeli naval forces started to place large floats to
serve as border signs, above which are lights and devices believed to be
photographing and monitoring devices, at a distance of 3 nautical miles from
the Gaza Strip seashore. The Israeli
naval forces warned Palestinian fishermen through leaflets not to sail beyond
such border signs, otherwise, they would be subject to shooting, detention and
confiscation of fishing tools. Al-Hissi
warned of the repercussions of this measure on the fishing industry in the Gaza
Strip, which is the sole source of income for hundreds of fishermen and their
families.
It should be noted that IOF have imposed a long term closure on the
Gaza Strip since 1991, under which they have deprived Palestinian fishermen
their right to fish Gaza’s waters. They
also decreased the permissible fishing area in the Gaza Strip’s seawater from
20 nautical miles, as agreed under the Palestinian-Israeli Oslo Accords,[1]
to 6 nautical miles in 2008, and to 3 nautical miles in 2009. During the Israeli offensive on the Gaza
Strip in the period 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009, IOF imposed a total
closure on the Gaza Strip, completely preventing Palestinian fishermen from
fishing. Following the offensive, IOF
imposed a partial closure on the Gaza Strip preventing Palestinian fishermen
from fishing beyond a distance of 3 nautical miles.
In light of the above:
1. PCHR
condemns placing such large floats 3 miles from the Gaza Strip’s seashore,
banning Palestinian fishermen from fishing beyond them.
2. PCHR calls
upon the international community to exert pressure on IOF to open the fishing
area up to 20 nautical miles.
3. PCHR
condemns attacks by IOF against Palestinian fishermen, and believed that such
attacks are part of the collective punishment measures against the Palestinian
civilian population, including denying them of their means of subsistence,
which is prohibited under the international humanitarian law and human rights law.
[1] Under the Oslo Accords, the Gaza
Strip’s seashore, which is 42 kilometers long, was divided into area known as
K, M and L. Area K extends up to 20
nautical miles in North Gaza and expands by 1.5 nautical mile in the south;
Area M extends up to 20 miles in the south of Gaza City and expands by one
nautical mile near the border with Egypt; and Area L extends up to 20 nautical
miles from the beach
