The Federation of Agricultural Work Committees said that during the past year 2019, the occupation forces carried out a total of 257 attacks and violations of the rights of Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip.
His annual report indicated that these attacks included shootings, shells, and chasing, as well as spraying water towards fishermen boats, in addition to arresting a number of them.
These attacks resulted in the injury of 22 fishermen to serious and moderate injuries, the most prominent of which was the injury of the fisherman Khadr Al-Saidi, who lost his sense of sight as a result of the loss of his eyes, as he was directly targeted by the Israeli occupation freedom while practicing his work in the sea, and 35 fishermen were arrested while working At sea, the Israeli occupation forces released 26 fishermen, after being subjected to investigation and accountability in the occupation investigation centers, while keeping 9 fishermen inside its prisons.
"As for boats and property, and targeting them by the Israeli naval occupation, 54 boats (of different sizes) were destroyed, and the damage to these boats was different in terms of the size of damage between partial and total," he said, noting that "some of these boats were destroyed." As a result of aerial attacks by Israeli occupation aircraft on fishing boats anchored on the shore, in addition to the confiscation of 15 fishing boats during the pursuit and hunting operations of fishermen, shooting at them and exposing them to danger. "
He referred to the fishing areas permitted by the Israeli occupation forces and "the use of the Israeli occupation of the sea as a means of pressure and collective torture of the residents of the Gaza Strip, including fishermen," where the fishing areas were manipulated through sudden restrictions or closures approximately 23 times, including 4 cases of complete closure To the sea, which led to depriving the fishermen of the opportunities to obtain a livelihood for them and their families, "noting that" in every case of closing or narrowing the fishing grounds, it was recorded that many fishing nets were lost. "
