Israeli occupation imposes all-out naval blockade on Gaza Strip, worsens the suffering of the Palestinians

The Israeli occupation has escalated its aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip by imposing an all-out naval blockade to tighten the noose against the Palestinians amid the complete silence of the international community over the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people.

The occupation forces on Monday prevented Palestinian fishermen in Gaza from accessing the sea through opening their machinegun fire on them, seizing the boats and detaining the fishermen with the aim of depriving them from their only source of livelihood in the light of the unfair Israeli siege which has been imposed on the strip for 15 years.

According to Nizar Ayyash, Head of Gaza’s Fishermen Union, since the beginning of the siege on Gaza the Israeli occupation has reduced the fishing area to less than six nautical miles, depriving the people in Gaza of their fish wealth.

“Today’s all-out naval blockade comes within the framework of the Israeli aggression on Gaza. It prevents 4500 Palestinian fishermen from securing the source of their livelihood and worsens their suffering from poverty and unemployment under the siege,” said Ayyash, pointing out that these fishermen are supporting more than 50 thousand people, who are members of their families.

 On his part, supervisor of the fishermen committees Zakaraya Baker said that the complete preventing of the Palestinians in Gaza from fishing is a new Israeli crime, pointing out that 23 fishermen have been martyred, 200 injured and 700 others detained since the occupation imposed its naval blockade on the sector in 2006. The occupation has also destroyed 180 boats through shelling them in the sea, he added.

Lawyer and researcher Hussein Hammad stressed that the entire closure of the sea before the Palestinian fishermen constitutes a blatant violation of international laws and resolutions on freedom of navigation.

Hamda Mustafa