The Civil Peace Service Gaza — an initiative of international volunteers in Gaza (established after the murder of Vittorio Arrigoni two months ago) to accompany Gaza fishermen who are often the targets of Israeli Navy attacks — has been reporting a surprising fact in its first press announcements this week: the Civil Peace Service Gaza claims that, due to the severe restrictions on their activities, Palestinian fishermen are now going out to sea to buy fish from Egyptian boats.
Several communications and press releases received by email this week from the Civil Peace Service Gaza report this surprising news: “Current figures indicate that during 2010 the decline in the fishing catch continues. This has caused an absurd arrangement to become standard practice. The fisherman sail out not to fish, but to buy fish off of Egyptian boats and then sell this fish in Gaza“.
This is hard to believe, given Israeli concern for arms transfers into Gaza via the waters off Gaza’s coastline.
Is the Israeli military permitting this new Egyptian-Palestinian fish market at sea?
Given the stated Israeli security concerns, is the Israeli military monitoring and supervising this trade?
And, Gaza fishermen are now restricted to waters 3 miles [or often less] from Gaza’s shoreline — are Egyptian fishermen allowed to come that close into Gaza waters? If so, it can only be with clear Israeli military approval…
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights [PCHR] has reported that the Civil Peace Service Gaza [CPSGaza] operates a boat from Gaza called Olivia — an 8-meter long white motor boat/yacht, CPSGaza says — which “monitors [and reports on] the human rights situation in Gaza’s seawater”, and carries out “a peaceful civil mission that seeks to ensure freedom of fishing for Palestinian fishermen”, and which has recently reported harassment from by Israeli naval vessels, on the 13th and 14th of July.
Continue reading Gaza fishermen buying fish from Egyptian boats off Gaza???