The Israeli occupation forces arrested four Palestinian fishermen on Sunday while they were fishing off the coast of Gaza City, before destroying their boat. This latest attack adds to the ongoing series of violations against fishermen since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip.
The head of the fishermen’s union, Zakaria Bakr, stated that the occupation forces arrested the four fishermen and then destroyed their boat on the shore. He noted that the Israeli navy has killed approximately 230 fishermen since the beginning of the war, while 28 fishermen remain imprisoned in Israeli jails.
Bakr explained that since the start of the offensive, the occupation has prevented the entry of fishing engines and equipment into the Gaza Strip, leading to the near-complete paralysis of this vital sector and depriving approximately 5,000 families who depend on fishing as their primary source of income.
He added that the fishing sector incurs monthly losses estimated at around five million dollars, while its total losses have exceeded 70 million dollars since the beginning of the offensive, as a result of the comprehensive targeting of infrastructure, including ports, boats, and fishing equipment.
For its part, the Fishermen’s Syndicate confirmed that the fishing sector in Gaza was subjected to a systematic destruction process during the war of extermination, affecting more than 90% of the tools, property and buildings belonging to the fishermen, as part of a policy aimed at eliminating this vital sector and drying up the sources of livelihood for thousands of Palestinian families.
