Date: 121/2013
Date: 28 November 2013
Time: 09:10 GMT

Israeli Naval Forces arrested 2 fishermen and confiscated their boat yesterday evening while sailing approximately 1 nautical mile off the Rafah seashore in the south of the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the ongoing Israeli attacks against Palestinian fishermen as they violate their right to sail and fish freely in the Gaza waters. PCHR also expresses concern over the continued targeting of fishermen and their livelihood. Economic and social rights of fishermen have been violated by the illegal naval blockade imposed by Israeli authorities on the Gaza waters since June 2007.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 18:00 on Wednesday, 27 November 2013, Israeli gunboats opened fire at a Palestinian fishing boats that were sailing about one nautical mile off the fishing port, west of Rafah. A number of gunboats surrounded a small fishing boat boarded by 2 fishermen: Ahmed Khalil Hasouna (16) and his cousin Mahmoud Mohammed Hasouna (17), both from the Sweden Village, southwest of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli naval forces arrested the 2 fishermen and took them to an unknown destination. The fishermen are still detained.

PCHR condemns the continued Israeli attacks against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip, and:

1. Calls for immediately stopping the policy of chasing and arresting Palestinian fishermen, and allowing them to sail and fish freely;
2. Demands compensation for the fishermen for the physical and material damage caused to them and their property as a result of these violations;
3. Calls upon the international community, including the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, to immediately intervene to stop the Israeli violations against the Palestinian fishermen and to allow them to sail and fish freely in the Gaza Sea.