'Israel' kills 200 fishermen in Gaza; fishing sector faces $20mln loss

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
13 Dec 2024 09:03
3 Shares

The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture in Gaza reports a devastating toll on the fishing sector due to the ongoing Israeli genocide in the Strip.

Listen

Palestinian fishermen pull fishing nets into their trawlers at the seaport in Gaza, Thursday, September 7, 2023. (AP)

The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture in Gaza announced yesterday that the Israeli occupation army killed 200 fishermen amid an ongoing campaign of mass violence in the besieged enclave.

The ministry reported that the war has led to a loss of approximately 4,600 tons of fish production, valued at $20,129,000. The Israeli genocide has also left nearly 4,000 fishermen unemployed.

A glimpse of a normal life.#Gaza fishermen filled with joy as they caught some fish on the Strip's shore amid the famine caused by the Israeli siege on Palestinians since October 7.#Palestine #GazaGenocide pic.twitter.com/XsF1Ys8E46
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 17, 2024

This week alone, the IOF arrested six fishermen on Tuesday, and another was critically injured yesterday.

Dive deeper

Fearing attacks on their boats, many Palestinians have been forced to fish from the shore, limiting their catch to small fish insufficient to feed their families. Compounding this, Gaza's waters have become heavily polluted, with rubbish frequently hauled ashore along with any fish caught.

Before the current Israeli aggression, the Palestinian Fishermen’s Association estimated there were around 4,000 fishermen in Gaza supporting approximately 50,000 dependents. However, the profession was already deemed hazardous due to routine harassment by Israeli occupation forces.

In 2020, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) recorded at least 320 attacks by Israeli forces on Palestinian fishermen off Gaza's coast—63 more than the previous year. That same year, "Israel" imposed a 16-day closure of the fishing zone in August, further restricting the sector's activities.

On several occasions even before the genocide, the Fishermen's Syndicate called on the competent authorities and the international community to ensure international protection for fishermen who work within the agreed upon "safe" zone and held responsible for their lives and freedom of work while holding the Israeli occupation accountable for its transgressions and repeated aggression.