Tag: Israeli Navy

Israeli navy harasses Palestinian fishermen off Gaza coast

by Rosa Schiano

21 December 2011 | Civil Peace Service Gaza

Photo: Rosa Schiano, Civil Peace Service Gaza – Click here for more images

The Oliva sailed from Gaza Seaport at 8:15 am. The Palestinian captain and two international observers from CPS staff were on boardAt 8:45 am Oliva reached four hasakas in the north of the Strip, about 2.2 nautical miles off shore (31° 35.40N / 034° 26.29E).

At 9:20 am the crew sighted an Israelis navy vessel moving toward the four hasakas and Oliva at a high rate of speed. The four hasakas and Oliva started to move toward the coast. The Israeli navy vessel continued to run after the hasakas and Oliva reaching 1.5 nautical miles off shore (31° 34.68N / 034° 26.49E) and then hanging back.

At 10:20 am the same Israeli navy vessels approached the four hasakas which were within the area marked by the float located about 2 miles off shore on the northern limit imposed on Palestinian fishing area (31° 35.41N / 034° 26.57E), continuing harassing them and shooting several times in the water.

At 11:00 am the Israeli navy vessels hanged back and Oliva returned to the port of Gaza.

Background:

Restrictions on the fishing zone are of comparable significance to Palestinian livelihood. This area was supposed to be 20 miles according to the Jericho agreements from 1994 (under the Oslo accords), then it was reduced to 12 miles, to 6 miles and now to 3 miles since January 2009. The marine ‘buffer zone’ restricts Gazan fishermen from accessing 85% of Gaza’s fishing waters agreed to by Oslo.

Israel has been regularly attacking Palestinian fishermen within the purported 3 nautical mile fishing limit. The livelihood of many Gazans relies on fishing and Israel has been using live ammunition and water cannons to prevent fishermen from doing their work.

The Israeli Siege continues after more than 4 years, limiting the sea area available for the Gaza population.

The Civil Peace Services continue monitoring potential human rights violations at the sea in front of the Gaza Strip.

In Photos: Palestinians gather support for #FreedomWaves and ending blockade of Gaza

by Alistair George and Ben Lorber

Canadian and Irish ships sailing with Freedom Waves to Gaza were illegally boarded by the Israeli military in international waters yesterday afternoon.

The Israeli military stated that “Upon arrival of the vessels at the Ashdod port, the activists will be transferred to the custody of the Israel Police and immigration authorities in the Ministry of Interior”.

At present, it has been confirmed that two of the passengers have been released by the Israeli authorities without charge.  The fate of the remaining passengers is unknown.

 

Palestinians gather support for Freedom Waves- Click here for more images

 

Huwaida Arraf, spokesperson from Freedom Waves to Gaza, said “It’s clear that 27 civilians on two small boats, carrying only medicine, constituted no security threat to the Israeli state, and that the determination to keep them out is only a furtherance of Israel’s policy of collective punishment, a crime against humanity. Despite this Israeli aggression, we will keep coming, wave after wave, by air, sea, and land, to challenge Israel’s illegal policies towards Gaza and all of Palestine. Our movement will not stop or be stopped until Palestine is free.”

The two ships, carrying a total of 27 passengers and $30,000 worth of medicine and supplies, set off from Turkey on November 2.  The Freedom Waves to Gaza initiative is a non-violent, civil society movement to challenge the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza.

Freedom Waves to Gaza organizers had been unable to communicate with the ships soon after the vessels were approached by Israeli warships earlier yesterday afternoon.

The Canadian boat ‘Tahrir’ (Liberation) confirmed that the Israeli navy had contacted them asking for their destination at around 13:00 (Gaza time) to which Ehab Lotayef, an activist on board the ship, replied “The conscience of humanity”.  When the Israelis again demanded to know the destination of the ship Lotayef replied; “The betterment of mankind”.

When the Israeli navy made contact, both ships were around 51 nautical miles from the coast of Gaza, well into international waters.  ‘

However, the Israeli military reported that the navy has been ordered by IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz to board the ships after “attempts to contact them failed.”

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey, has reported that the boats were offered the choice to go to Egypt or return.

A spontaneous gathering took place yesterday in Gaza’s seaport in anticipation of the arrival of the boats turning quickly into a protest, as the news of the assault became known. Protesters are calling for UN sanctions against Israel for its persistent violations of international law.  Protests took place yesterday evening in Ramallah in solidarity with the flotilla, and in Haifa and Gaza the previous days. Rally goers demanded UN accountability for Gaza’s current siege, as Israel continues its tight grip on the suffocating Gaza Strip.

Israeli commandos boarded a previous Gaza Freedom Flotilla on 31 May 2010, killing nine Turkish activists and wounding many more.

 

Ben Lorber is a volunteer with International Solidarity Movement and writes for Alternative Information Center. Alistair George is a volunteer for ISM (name changed).