[Tuesday Morning, February 11, 2014] Israeli Navy ships attacked Palestinian fishing boats in Palestinian territorial waters, near Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, and kidnapped three fishermen.Local sources have reported that the navy forced fishermen in two boats to leave their boats, and kidnapped them.
The navy then towed the two boats, and took the two fishermen to an unknown destination. One of them has been identified as Fadel Sultan.
Israeli navy boats repeatedly attack Palestinian fishing boats in Palestinian waters in Gaza, open fired at them, and kidnap the fishermen.
The attacks led to dozens of casualties, arrests, and the soldiers have taken many fishing boats away.
In its weekly report, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) denounced the ongoing assaults carried out by the Israeli Navy against Palestinian fishermen and fishing boats in the Gaza Strip.
The PCHR said that attacks are part of the ongoing and illegitimate Israeli siege imposed on the coastal region more than seven years ago.
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When Israel imposed the illegal siege on Gaza, in 2006, the fishermen were limited to only three nautical miles off the Gaza shore.
Yet, the fishermen and their boats were constantly attacked even within those three miles leading to dozens of casualties, and excessive property damage. The soldiers also kidnapped dozens of fishermen.
As part of the ceasefire agreement of November 2012, Israel agreed to allow the Palestinians to fish within six nautical miles, but unilaterally decreased the allotted area to three miles.
Last May, Israel decided to allow the fishermen to fish within six nautical, but the Navy continued to attack them even within the three nautical miles.
Under the Oslo accords of the mid-nineties, the Palestinians are supposed to be allowed to fish in 20 nautical miles off the Gaza shore, but Tel Aviv has constantly violated the agreement.
