A Palestinian human rights center said today, Saturday, that the Gaza fishing sector is subject to an organized Israeli destruction operation.
This came in a report issued by the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights (non-governmental), on Israeli violations against the fishing sector during the first half of 2020.
The center added that the systematic destruction process appears through the continued violations of the occupation forces, which are chasing fishermen at sea, shooting at them, arresting some of them, killing and injuring people in their ranks, destroying and confiscating their equipment, and preventing them from working.
The center added, "In addition to these practices, the area of fishing for the Palestinian fisherman is permitted to work within it, and to prevent the introduction of necessary marine materials and equipment in general."
He explained that the marine sector provided job opportunities for fishermen and workers in related professions such as boat manufacturing and maintenance, equipment and nets maintenance, fish trade and related transport operations and others.
He stated that the marine sector contributed to supporting the Palestinian gross national product and the food basket of the population.
And the center monitored that Israel committed about 172 violations of the fishing sector in Gaza during the first half of this year. He stated that these violations led to the injury of workers in the fishing sector, and hindered the possibility of expanding their work in parallel with the natural increase in population.
According to the human rights report, the violations led to the classification of workers in the marine sector among the poorest groups in Palestinian society in Gaza.
He pointed out that the number of workers in the fishing sector during 2019 was 5606, among whom 3,606 were fishermen.