More than 3700 fishermen in Gaza Strip work in fishing industry as
their only profession, and this new Israeli procedure will threaten this industry which is considered as the main source of income for thousands of families.
This new Israeli infringement has been added to many other against
the Palestinian fishermen like preventing them from fishing, shooting at them, detaining them, confiscation their tools and so on.
“I was shocked when I saw these floats for the first time. Like many of
my friends, I couldn’t understand the purpose behind them at the first, but we knew that this purpose will not be good for us”. Abdurrahman Abu Riyala, a Palestinian Fisherman, said.
He added, ” 3 nautical miles are not enough for us to get enough fish for
selling or even for our families, this could lead us to look for another work”.
Head of the Union of Fishermen in Gaza City, Mohammed Al-Hissi, said “The aim of the large floats is to serve as border signs to prevent the
fishermen to sail beyond the 3 nautical miles. Above these floats, there are
lights and devices that could be photographing and monitoring device”.
He added, “The Israeli naval forces warned the Palestinian fishermen
through leaflets not to sail beyond these signs or they would subject to
shooting, detention and confiscation their fishing tools.
The President of the Fishing and Marine Sports Association ,Mahfouz
al-Kabariti, said that the placing of the large floats along the seashore of the Gaza Strip by Israeli naval forces comes as an attempt to create a new buffer zone. He added, “This new Israeli act is considered as a collective punishment against the Palestinian people in general and the Palestinian fishermen in particular. It purposes to cut off the main source of income for hundreds of families.
Al-kabariti explained that placing these floats gives the Israeli naval
forces the green light to attack, detain and shoot the fishermen.
He pointed out that Israeli forces are trying to fight fishing industry in
Palestine as they consider it a very important market for the Palestinians.
He called upon the international community to start moving and end
these Israeli violations against the Palestinian fishermen as these violations against the international humanitarian law and human right law.
In this regard, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights condemned the
placing of these floats and banning Palestinian fishermen from fishing beyond them. The center affirmed that this measure aims to institutionalize the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and enhances the Israeli Occupation forces’ control over the Gaza Strip regional water.
It also warned that this measure will lead to more attacks by the Israeli
forces against the Palestinian fishermen like depriving them of their means of subsistence under the pretext of sailing beyond the sea floats.
It called upon the international community to put pressure on the Israeli forces to open the fishing area up to 20 nautical miles as Oslo accords
stipulated.
It’s worth mentioning that Israeli Occupation forces have imposed a long
term closure on Gaza Strip since 1991, under which they have deprived the
Palestinian fishermen their right to fish Gaza’s water.
They also decreased the permissible fishing area to 3 nautical miles off
the Gaza coast, in spite of the deal between the UN and Israel in 2002 which
allowed for fishing up to 12 miles off the coast and the Oslo Accords of 1993 that gave the Palestinian the right of fishing for up to 20 miles.
During the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip on 27 December 2008,
Israel imposed a total closure Gaza Strip, completely preventing the Palestinian fishermen from fishing. Following this offensive Israel imposed a partial closure on Gaza Strip preventing Palestinian fishermen from fishing beyond distance of 3 nautical miles.
