Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemned escalation of Israeli attacks on Palestinian fishermen and called on international community for immediate intervention to put an end to the Israeli violations and for lifting of siege imposed on Gaza strip.
The human rights center confirmed, in a press release issued on Tuesday, that the Israeli abuses against Palestinian fishermen in Gazan waters have escalated in recent weeks, as Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have adopted new tactics causing increased physical damage to Palestinian fishing boats, in addition to arresting fishermen and treating them in very degrading way.
These escalating attacks come in the context of Israel’s maritime siege on the Gaza Strip, which prevents Palestinian fishermen from working, even within the Israeli-imposed “fishing zone” of three nautical miles along the Gazan coast.
According to Al Mezan’s field investigations, over the course of September the IOF has escalated its attacks on Palestinian fishermen. The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights has noted that the IOF has recently opened fire directly on the boats on three occasions, damaging the fishing nets, with no justifiable cause.
Therefore, Al Mezan reiterates its previous call on the international community to promptly intervene to uphold its legal and moral obligations under international law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention regarding the Protection of Civilians in Time of War, and to ensure respect of the principles of IHL at all times. It also calls on the international community to take all necessary measures to lift the illegal siege imposed on Gaza, including freedom to work for Palestinian fishermen.
