During the past two days the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have escalated their attacks against the Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza shores.
The IOF chased and opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within the allowed fishing area in separate incidents. As a result four boats were confiscated and another was drowned while a fifth was burned.
According to the Palestinian fishermen syndicate the occupation forces burned on Thursday a boat belonging to the fisherman Haitham Farwana after opening fire at it off Khan Yunis shores.
The Israeli forces also confiscated on the same day the boat of the fisherman Abdel Moati Al-Habil.
Earlier on Wednesday IOF confiscated a fishing boat where Ahmad Adel Mohammad Al-Bardawil was on board sailing within 3 nautical miles off western Rafah shore southern Gaza Strip. There were also 2 generators and 30 searchlights on the boat.
The IOF also confiscated 2 fishing boats belonging to Muhannad Ra’fat Radwan Baker and Tayseer Mohammad Abdulnouri who are both residents of al-Shati refugee camp. They were sailing within 3 nautical miles off al-Waha shore northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip.
In a separate incident a fisherman named Omar Mohammad Ism’ail Al-Bardawil said that IOF’s gunboats stationed off the Fishermen Seaport western Rafah pumped water at a fishing boat he owns and drowned it. The boat was sailing within 6 nautical miles and had a generator and searchlights on board.
So far in 2022 the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) documented the injury of 19 fishermen and the arrest of 44 others including 6 children; 2 fishermen remain in IOF detention. Also the Israeli authorities continue to keep 18 fishing boats and dozens of fishing tools and equipment in their custody.
In this regard PCHR reiterated its call upon the international community including the States Party to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 to compel the Israeli authorities to cease their attacks and pursuit of Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza waters and to allow them to fish freely.
