The family of the fisherman Muhammad Ahmad al-Hassi whose boat was attacked by Israeli war boats off Beit Lahiya shores officially declared Saturday his death in absentia after 48 hours of his disappearance.
The family held Israel responsible for their son’s death after Israeli naval forces deliberately sank his fishing boat late Wednesday.
The family also called on international human rights institutions to seriously intervene to put an end to Israeli daily assaults against Gaza fishermen.
An Israeli gunboat last Wednesday deliberately rammed into a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of al-Sudaniya area north of Gaza. This led to the loss of one fisherman and the sinking of the fishing boat.
Around 4000 fishermen work in Gaza half of whom live below the poverty line due to the Israeli unfair blockade imposed on the Strip since June 2007.
The blockade has caused a decline in the standards of living as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty.
