90 percent of Gaza's fishermen jobless

Israeli policies have reportedly been affecting the work of Gaza's fishermen as well. Ahmed al-Hebeil, a fisherman from the Gaza Strip, told Arabstoday: "I can't guarantee my life when I go out to sea every morning to work, as Israeli battleships shoot any fishing boat that goes beyond three miles into the sea." "A few days ago, I took my boat through the north Gaza sea aiming to get some fish to feed my family, but I was targeted by shells from an Israeli battleship. One of them hit my boat, which started burning ,and I then was injured too. Some of my fello fishermen were barely able to reach me in time and extinguish the fire and take me to the hospital," said al-Hebeil. Another fisherman, Mohammed Abu Hassira, insisted the area offered by the Israeli navy for Gaza's fishermen to cast their nets was too limited and didn't enable the fishermen to catch the required fish, as fishing in the region required going out at least 20 miles into the sea. Abu Hassira said the fuel shortage made matters worse, as every fishing boat was given only 20 litres of fuel a week, which is not even enough for one day.   Nizar Ayash, head of the Palestinian fishermen's syndicate told Arabstoday: "The occupation started to intensify its assaults against Palestinian fishermen recently, so the fishing season is almost ruined, especially sardines." Ayash stated more than 80 percent of the fish available in Gaza's markets was smuggled through underground tunnels between Gaza and Egypt, or through direct deals between Palestinian fishermen and their fellow Egyptians in the Egyptian sea. "Last year, several international peace activists accompanied Palestinian fishermen to the sea during the fishing season so that fishermen were able to fish enough to earn their livelihood. Now, 3500 of Gaza's residents have abandoned fishing, almost 90 percent of total fishermen from the Strip," he said. The Palestinian agriculture ministry's spokesperson Fayez al-Sheikh said: "Israeli assaults against Palestinian fishermen violate international law, particularly the third subject of the world declaration of human rights, which emphasises the right of security and personal safety."