Tag: Fishermen - Page 2 - International Solidarity Movement

Attacks on fishermen continue in Gaza

13th June 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza Team | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

During the last weeks, the Israeli military has been shooting at the fishermen of Gaza almost daily with rubber coated steel-bullets and live ammunition. They also kidnapped 15 fishermen. Three of the injured and seven of the kidnapped belong to the Baker family, who are also the family of the 4 boys who were murdered by the Israeli military while they were playing football on the beach during the last massacre in Gaza. Yesterday, in Deir el Balah, the army stole 37 fishing nets and today the shooting went on all along the Strip.

ISM met some of the recently released fishermen from Baker family.

One of members of the family is Ziad Fahed Baker, 21 years old. Three weeks ago, he left the port on his small boat along with four other fishermen. As they were fishing at less than three miles away, the Israeli navy approached and ordered them to leave without taking the nets with them. They answered that they would leave but not without the nets. Ziad knew that abandoning the nets would leave his family without any income, so they ignored the soldiers and started collecting them. At this point the soldiers shot Ziad in the leg, and the 5 fishermen decided to flee to the port. Unfortunately the Israeli gunboat followed them and when they were just a mile and a half from the shore shot the engine of Ziad’s boat. With the boat stopped they ordered Ziad and the other four fishermen, two of whom were also injured, to swim towards their ship. Once in the gunboat they were blindfolded and handcuffed to a metal bar, “What are they afraid of? That we would leave flying?”

They were then taken to Ashdod, where Israeli forces subjected them to the usual routine of insults and humiliations before sending them back to Gaza.

They also explain how the Israeli military bombs the waters where they are working in order to scare away the fish and how the blockade prevents the entrance of all the tools needed for their activity, engines, fibber glass, hooks…

From the 1500 boats that laboured in the past, just 150 are still working today. This year the income of the fishing sector has decreased an 80% regarding the past year.

Ziad’s cousin, Mohamed Zied Baker, 30 years old, was also attacked last week while labouring in Sudania, north of Gaza. They ordered him to stop, shot him with rubber-coated steel bullets, kidnapped him and once in the Israeli boat they handcuffed him and stepped on his head with their boots.

Ziad, Mohamed, Fahed, Walid and Emad – this one, just 16 years old, also got shot with live ammunition and kidnapped – have similar stories to tell.

“They are now targeting the youngest fishermen, almost children”. “They want to scare us, but they can’t, we are Palestinians”.

Story and photos by Valeria Cortés

Nine Palestinian fishermen kidnapped by the Egyptian army

06th March | Miguel Hernández | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

On the 3rd of May, the trial of nine Palestinian fishermen kidnapped by the Egyptian army while fishing in waters of the border city of Rafah, took place in the Egyptian city of Al Arish. Three of the fishermen are brothers, Ali Abu Hamada, 36 years old, with eight children, Mahmoud Abu Hamada, 22 years old, and Mohamed Abu Hamada, 32 years old with three children. Among the hostages there’s also a 13 years old boy.

Mohamed’s wife with their three children.

Since the end of the last massacre in Gaza the situation of the fishermen has been worse than ever. They don’t even dare to reach the four mile limit.

Despite the fact that, officially, the sea blockade imposed by the Israeli state starts at six miles, the attacks on the fishermen are continuous even as close as two miles out.

Palestinians locked in Gaza tell us how much the position of the Eyptian government and its total coordination with the Israeli state regarding the policies towards the Palestinian people surprises and saddens them.

To the destruction of the tunnels that supplied the fishermen with fiberglass, necessary to fix the bullet holes in their boats, and the spare parts for engines, has, in recent months, been added the abduction of Palestinian fishermen and vessels that fish near Egyptian waters.

The mother of the three brothers, Nasmiya, native of Yibna, a Palestinian village wiped out by Israeli colonialism during the Nakba, described the umpteenth misfortune that the creation of the State of Israel in Paletine has brought to her life.

On the 16th March 2015, her sons, along with six other fishermen from Al Shati refugee camp, located in the Northern part of the Gaza Strip, headed south to the city of Rafah, trying to escape from the continuous attacks of the Israeli occupation forces and looking for less polluted and exploited waters.

The day after, the family received a phone call from the Egyptian army telling her that the nine fishermen were dead and that their bodies were in Egypt, ready to be returned the next time Rafah border opened.

It wasn’t until two weeks later when one of her sons managed to take a picture of the nine men and sent it to his mother, that she knew they were still alive.

Despite the bad quality of the picture, the signs of torture on their bodies was clear; cigarette burns, black eyes, wounds and bruises. For security reasons Nasmiya asks us not to publish the picture.

The family still doesn’t know the outcome of the trial, and no one dares to make predictions.

PCHR report: Israeli attacks on fishermen in the Gaza Sea

22nd October 2014 | Palestinian Centre for Human Rights | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Israeli Naval forces continued to carry out attacks on Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip during the reporting period (1 – 30 September 2014), including 18 shooting incidents that resulted in the injury of a fishermen while fishing; 4 chasing incidents that led to the arrest of 11 fishermen; and confiscation of 4 fishing boats and 22 pieces of fishing nets belonging to Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli naval forces did not comply with the ceasefire agreement concluded between Israel and Palestinian armed groups under Egyptian auspices on 26 August 2014. This agreement includes allowing Palestinian fishermen to sail within 6 nautical miles in the Gaza Sea. According to PCHR’s investigations, all attacks took place within the distance of 6 nautical miles, which proves that Israeli forces’ policies aim to tighten restrictions on the Gaza Strip’s fishermen and their livelihoods.

Palestinian fishermen work on Jan. 24, 2009 near the border with Egypt (AFP/File, Said Khatib) — Palestinian fishermen work on Jan. 24, 2009 near the border with
Egypt (AFP/File, Said Khatib)

Violations of the International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law

Israel’s attacks against Palestinian fishermen, who do not pose any threat to Israeli soldiers, in the Gaza Strip constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, relevant to the protection of the civilian population and respect for its rights, including every person’s right to work, and the right to life, liberty and security of person, as codified in Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), despite the fact that Israel is a State Party to the Covenant. Furthermore, these attacks occurred in a time where the fishers did not pose any threat to the Israeli naval troops, as they were doing their job to secure a living. Israeli violations in the reporting period were as follows:

First: Shooting Incidents

During the reporting period, PCHR documented 18 cases in which Israeli forces fired at Palestinian fishermen in the sea off the Gaza Strip shore. As a result, a fisherman was injured.

On 17 September 2014, Israeli forces stationed on watchtowers along the coastal borderline, northwest of al-Sayafa area, north of Beit Lahia, opened fire at a group of fishermen who were near the Access Restricted Area (ARA). As a result, Jom’aah Ahmed Mohammed Zayed (69), from Beit Lahia, was wounded by a bullet to the right leg cutting one of the veins. It should be mentioned that Zayed was standing 200 meters away from the coastal border fence and directing his sons, who were fishing inside the waters. He was taken to Kamal ‘Ewan Hospital in Beit Lahia to receive medical treatment and was then transferred to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City where medical sources described his injury as moderate.

Second: Arrest of Fishermen:

PCHR documented incidents in which Israeli naval forces arrested and chased 11 fishermen while they were sailing within about 1.5 nautical mile off northern Gaza and Gaza City shore.

At approximately 06:30 on 03 September 2014, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within one nautical mile off Beit Lahia shore in the northern Gaza Strip. An Israeli gunboat surrounded a Palestinian fishing boat boarded by Mohammed Ishaq Mohammed Zayed (18) and Mousa Talal ‘Ata al-Sultan (24), both from al-Salateen neighborhood in Beit Lahia, while sailing around 800 meters inside the waters. The Israeli naval soldiers forced the two fishermen to stop fishing, jump into the water and swim towards the Israeli gunboat. The Israeli soldiers then arrested them and confiscated their boat and pieces of fishing net.
At approximately 05:00 on 09 September 2014, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats. An Israeli gunboat surrounded a Palestinian fishing boat boarded by Tariq and ‘Issam ‘Abdel Bari Mohammed al-Sultan (18) and (21) respectively, both from al-Salateen neighborhood in Beit Lahia, while sailing 1.5 nautical mile off the Beit Lahia shore. The Israeli naval soldiers surrounded the boat and arrested the two fishermen and confiscated their boat and pieces of fishing net.
At approximately 06:30 on 09 September 2014, Israeli gunboats heavily opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing off Beit Lahia shore in the northern Gaza Strip. An Israeli gunboat surrounded a boat boarded by Bahaa’ Yousif Mohammed al-Sultan (25) and Ahmed As’ad Mohammed al-Sultan (22), both from -Salateen neighborhood in Beit Lahia, while sailing 1.5 nautical mile off the Beit Lahia shore. The Israeli naval soldiers arrested the two fishermen and confiscated their boat and pieces of fishing net.
At approximately 15:00 on 22 September 2014, Israeli gunboats opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats sailing off al-Zahra shore, southwest of Gaza City. The gunboats then surrounded a fishing boat boarded by 5 fishermen from al-Shati refugee camp. The Israeli naval troops forced the five fishermen to stop fishing, jump into the water and swim to the Israeli gunboat. The Israeli naval soldiers then tied the fishermen’s hands and arrested them taking them to Ashdod Seaport. At approximately 08:00 on the next day, the Israeli forces released the fishermen, but kept their boat and fishing equipment in custody. The fishermen were identified as: Sofian Mohyi al-Deen Kollab (47); Mohammed Yousif Abu ‘Odah (24); Mustafa Haidar Abu ‘Odah (25); Ahmed Ziyad al-Sharif (32). and ‘Abdel Rahim Abu Selmiyah (30).

Third: Confiscation of Fishing Boats

During the reporting period, PCHR documented chasing incidents and confiscation of 4 fishing boats and other fishing equipment (pieces of fishing nets).

On 03 September 2014, Israeli gunboats opened fire at a Palestinian fishing boat boarded by two fishermen sailing off al-Waha shore, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli gunboats then surrounded the boat and arrested the two fishermen and confiscated their boat and fishing net.
On 09 September 2014, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Waha shore, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing off Beit Lahia shore. The Israeli gunboat surrounded a Palestinian fishing boat boarded by two fishermen. They arrested the fishermen and confiscated their boat and pieces of their fishing net.
On 09 September 2014, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats and then surrounded a fishing boat. The Israeli naval soldiers arrested two fishermen from al-Salateen neighborhood in Beit Lahia and confiscated their boat and pieces of fishing net.

Final journal from Gaza

17th September | Charlie Andreasson | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

This is what seems to be the last thing I will write from Gaza. Not that there is nothing more to tell, there lies a new story under every stone, but because I will soon leave this small coastal strip where there is so much to be found.

Suffering, deprivation, death, dismemberment, despair, shattered homes, and lives without a future. But also so much love, so much kindness, smiling faces and playing children with catching laughter. And this curiosity and immediate acceptance of me as a stranger, so very distant from my soon-to-be home in Europe.

This will be my thanks and goodbye. A sincere thank you for giving me the opportunity to publish my thoughts, reflections, and observations. A humble thanks to all of you who wanted to read them. And a little special thanks to those of you who have contacted me because of my stories and articles; it has sometimes made me slightly embarrassed, but also made me, secretly, of course – proud.

It has driven me to continue to write, and given me this urge to improve, to make the necessary contacts in order to write another story to keep describing Gaza for those who want to read it.

There is so much more to write and report on. There are already many orphans in Gaza, and the recent war has ripped away another 1,500 children their parents. Not all of these children will be placed in an orphanage, most will probably be taken in by relatives. This is just one of hundreds of stories that will remain on my mind, after I have left Gaza.

There is a farming season approaching, but many farmers have had their houses and fields destroyed. Tanks and bulldozers have already penetrated into the Gaza Strip in violation of the ceasefire. Fishermen have been shot at several times, six have been arrested, and a boat has been seized. This also in violation of the ceasefire.

There are 100 shelters that have been erected, donated by the United Arab Emirates. This is a good start, but not even ten thousand such barracks would be enough, and soon winter and rain will arrive.

There is so much still to write about.

There are not many days left until I shall try to leave, and I will spend my time finishing projects, not beginning new ones. Al-Mazan, an organization working closely with the UN and HRW, has asked for copies of my photographic evidence of war crimes, my role in the Ark-project is over. After a lot of struggling, we have finally started to move forward on the issue of our presence among the fishermen on a far more regular basis. This is a project I will not see completed before I leave. It came to a temporary stop when the war began, and it has tentatively started to continue once again.

It stings a little in me that I cannot be on that journey, and it is pointless trying to hide that. If I did not have to go home, that project alone would be worth staying another year for. Instead, I will focus on cleaning out my apartment, trying to get an afternoon for myself and Moby Dick at a beach cafe, trying to get out for a last night with the fishermen at the sea, to say goodbye to the friends I have found and to thank them for everything, and complete this text, the last one.

Fishing in Gaza

3rd September | Charlie Andreasson | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

We sailed out from Gaza City’s harbor just before dusk with the 13-man crew, including two boys, and we had a theoretical possibility to reach six nautical miles for fishing. But that the limit determined by the occupying power would have been moved from three to six miles is mostly a play with words.

After the previous war that ended two years ago, the limit was moved to six nautical miles, which was again reduced to three, only two days before Israel launched its operation ‘Defensive Edge’ no fishing was allowed at all.

For those who are engage in kiddle, hook fishing, it has been a definite improvement, and it is likely that even trawl fishermen will be able to get better catches, so the question was how it will turn out for the once fishing with purse-seine, who primarily are fishing after sardines.

We are more or less cruising out from the coast, following the sonar display closely. It shows nothing but the structure of the bottom, the screen is black, no sign of fish.

The crew are every now and then checking for the red light from the Israeli patrol boats, wise from experience that they attack whenever and wherever they want, not bound to the limits or agreements.

Rade Bakr, the skipper, has been arrested four times in the past and his boat has been seized. Over time he has managed to recover his boat, but he does not want to be arrested a fifth time, not just for his own sake; approximately 80 people depend on the boat’s income.

Eventually, some small, pale spots appear on the sonar screen. We are between four and four an a half miles from the coast, and the captain decides that we should anchor. It is still too early to venture further out, it’s less risky to gain the waters back bit by bit then demanding rights from somebody behind machineguns. None of the crew are protesting, no one feels compelled to be the first with this type of boat to risk everything.

As the anchor is resting on the ground barely twenty meters below us, the machine shuts down and the big generator on deck starta, the headlights around the boat lit up to attract the fish, turning the sea around us a shimmering blue. Some of the crew take the opportunity to fish with a hook during the hours we are there, catching small red-backed fish, one of the two young boys comes with freshly made coffee, ever smiling and ever ready to do whatever the others want.

Food is laid out on the deck, and we sit in a large circle, each one leans forward to the bowls in its midst. Occasionally the crew are watching over the reeling, scouted by the bright light, and out to the dense darkness. It is difficult, almost impossible, to catch sight of anything under such conditions. It’s more like a reflex. I do not ask what they are looking for.

It’s time to throw out the purse-seine. The eco sonar shows more spots now and they are all bright. No orders have to be given, everyone knows what to do.

The skipper takes his place in one of the accompanying boats, a small hasaka (small fishing boat), and turns on its headlights to hold the fish while the now darkened boat lay the purse-seine in a big circle around the hasaka. So starts the heavy work of hauling in the net, with most of the crew standing barefoot on the deck.

Suddenly the catch is laying on the deck, plastic boxes are picked up and sorted by types and sizes; predominantly small octopus but also small crabs, some odd varieties, and very little anchovy, which is supposedly the main catch. And the catch is not large, perhaps 60 kilograms in total.

We anchored with headlights and some of the crew let down their hooks again, the ever smiling boy comes with a new coffee. The hours elapse, most are trying to get some sleep. So it’s time again, but this time it will be more dramatic. One of the crew has caught sight of the red light and is pointing it out to us. The Israeli patrol boat may well be outside the six-mile zone, but its presence is sufficient enough to spread alarm on board; it would only take patrol boat a few minutes to get where we are.

I feel that the crew are trying to haul their gear even faster than before, and I see that they all have complete awareness of where the red light is located. We cannot leave until the gear is on the deck, minutes pass, everyone is trying to assess whether the red light approaching or not, but in the end the catch is hauled in. It was leaner than the last time, the proceeds will not cover the costs. This would have required four or five loads. And to get plenty of fish, they need to be 9-10 miles out from the shore, still Palestinian waters, although they’re excluded from it.

This time, it was enough that the soldiers aboard the patrol boat lit a spotlight towards the fishermen so they would leave their own water, often the Israeli patrol boats do much more.