The Gaza-based Palestinian Agricultural Union issued on Sunday a report, outlining the amount of Israeli naval forces violations against Gaza fishermen, during March of 2020.
According to the Department of Lobbying and Advocacy of the Palestinian Agricultural Union, Israeli naval forces, off the coast of Gaza, committed 17 violations against Gaza fishermen, last month.
The department’s records suggested that among those violations were opening heavy fire, unleashing waste water cannons and ruining fishing nets. The violations also included damaging two boats, belonging to two different fishermen from Gaza City.
The non-governmental agricultural organization also noted that the recent amount of violations against fishermen, came while Palestinian fishermen and many other categories of Palestinian workers, are coping with the spread of the coronavirus, worldwide, by following the precautions put forth by concerned health bodies, as many of those fishermen stay-in doors, to protect themselves.
Compliance by fishermen has been noted widely, despite the fact that fishing is the only source of income for them to provide for their families, with the Gaza Strip having been subject to a crippling Israeli blockade, for 13 years now.
The Gaza-based Agricultural Union asserted in its statement on the union’s endeavor to disclose all Israeli actions, off the coast of Gaza, which the union considers as human rights violations, mainly the right to live decently, in a time Israel imposes a great deal of restrictions on fishermens’ work.
Back in 2007, Israel enforced a sea blockade on the coastal trip, affecting the livelihood of about 4,000 Palestinian fishermen in Gaza.
Since then, fishermen have been able to fish only within 6 to 9 nautical miles, off Gaza Mediterranean shores. Only recently, Israel has allowed fishermen to fish within 15 nautical miles, but only in some parts of the Gaza Strip’s shores.
