A Palestinian human rights center said that by late April that Israel has committed 97 violations against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of 2022.
This came in a statement by Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, against the backdrop of Israel’s arrest of 3 fishermen from the Gaza Sea, on Monday, a copy of which was received by Anatolia.
The center said that it had documented “97 Israeli violations of the right of Palestinian fishermen in the open seas of the Gaza Strip since the beginning of 2022.”
He added that the occupation arrested 17 fishermen, including 3 children, wounded 9 fishermen, including 3 children, and seized 5 fishing boats, without further details.
Palestinian officials in Gaza say that the Israeli navy fires almost daily at fishermen’s boats, injuring and arresting a number of them, under the pretext that they crossed the fishing zone, which reaches 6 miles in the north and 15 in the south.
The statement continued: “The occupation forces continue to ban the entry of equipment necessary for the continuation of the fishing profession into Gaza within the framework of its strict siege imposed on the Strip.”
He pointed out that Israel’s continued violations against Palestinian fishermen come in the context of its systematic policy to destroy the fishing sector as part of its sanctions to destroy the fundamentals of the Palestinian economy in Gaza.
The statement expressed its condemnation of the Israeli violations against Palestinian fishermen, calling for revealing the fate of 3 fishermen who were arrested by the navy, earlier on Monday.
Earlier, the Agricultural Work Committees Foundation (non-governmental) said that the Israeli navy forces arrested 3 Palestinian fishermen, while they were working off the shores of the southern Gaza Strip.
There was no immediate statement from the Israeli army about the incident.
a report by the PCHR relased June first, 2022 revealed that by the first half of 2022 “PCHR documented the injury of 7 fishermen and the arrest of 33 others, including 6 children; 5 of them are still under arrest. Also, the Israeli authorities continue to keep 9 fishing boats and dozens of fishing equipment in their custody.”
The PCHR added, “In light of the above, PCHR emphasizes that the Israeli practices against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip constitute a grave violation of all international conventions, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Also, the Israeli attacks against Palestinian fishermen violate the Fourth Geneva Convention relevant to the protection of civilians in time of occupation and stipulates the need to protect workers and guarantee their integrity.”
The report followed adding that the “PCHR reiterates its call on the international community, including the States Party to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, to force Israeli authorities to cease attacks and persecution of Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza waters, and to allow fishermen to fish freely. Moreover, PCHR calls upon Israeli authorities to compensate fishermen for their losses caused by the continued Israeli attacks and release the detained fishing boats and equipment.”
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