Amidst the waves of the sea the darkness of the night and the piracy of the Israeli navy fisherman Omar Bakr dreams of ploughing the sea using his small boat without being haunted by the Israeli navy pirates patrolling the sea of Gaza.
Bakr 50 was accompanied by the PIC reporter at the Gaza Sea about six miles into the water recounted the great suffering he suffers from upon seeing the Israeli war boats preventing him from sailing farther into the open sea.
Bakr has been working in the fishing profession for 40 years. He pointed out that the atmosphere in the Gaza Sea is tragic due to the harassment of the Israeli war boats.
“We hope the situation will improve so that we could fish just like the world’s fishermen do moving around easily” he said referring to his desire to reach a long distance in the sea where fish of different types is found.
A living soaked in blood
Shukran Bakr 33 the fisherman’s sister who accompanied him and his children in their humble fishing boat said that the suffering of the fishermen and their families goes beyond the dark sea where the fishermen’s fate is unknown.
She told the PIC reporter: “We fear for the fishermen and feel the pain due to what we hear of the aggression of the Israeli navy on them.”
She said that “Fishermen are looking for a living though soaked in blood because of the dangers they face at the hands of the Israeli navy forces.”
Shukran wished that the fishing zone would extend to more than the 3 or 6 nautical miles allowed by Israel.
She said that her family lost six of its fishermen as martyrs in addition to dozens of injuries the last of which was her brother who lost his right eye in April after being attacked by the Israeli gunboats along with his relatives.
“Fishermen go fishing and our hearts are with them due to the danger they are exposed to while searching for a decent life like fishermen do in the rest of the world” she said.
The big dream
The fisherman Bakr called on people of conscience and Arab countries and human rights institutions to stand with the Gaza Strip and contribute to lifting the siege Israel is imposing on it.
Bakr’s dreams are still touching his heart waiting to be achieved one day when his fishing boat goes beyond the few miles it is allowed to fish in due to the constraints of the Israeli occupation authorities by sailing north and south without restrictions or persecution.
