GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Three Palestinian fishermen were wounded early Monday by Israeli gunfire while working off the coast of Gaza City, in an incident that has again drawn attention to the situation facing fishermen in the Gaza Strip. For years, they have faced the risks of gunfire, arrest and boat confiscation, in addition to restrictions on their access to fishing areas.
The Union of Fishermen’s Committees said three fishermen were injured while working in the Gaza City sea. Local sources identified two of the wounded as fishermen Mohammed Abu Riyala, 16, and Ibrahim Azzam Bakr, 22, while no further details were immediately available about the identity of the third fisherman.
The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture condemned the shooting, saying the targeting of fishermen while they are carrying out their work is a blatant violation of their right to work and earn a livelihood, and poses a direct threat to their lives and safety.
The ministry said Monday’s incident comes as part of a series of ongoing attacks against Gaza’s fishermen, at a time when the territory is living through extremely difficult humanitarian and economic conditions. It said targeting fishermen does not only affect individuals working at sea, but also strikes one of the few remaining sources of income for the population.
The ministry called on the international community and human rights and humanitarian organizations to shoulder their responsibilities, work to stop attacks on fishermen and ensure they are able to practice their profession safely and freely, as guaranteed under international laws and conventions.
Monday’s shooting was not an isolated incident. Work at sea off Gaza has long been tied to the risks of arrest, gunfire and the pursuit of boats, making access to a source of livelihood itself fraught with danger.
The incident comes as Gaza’s fishing sector, historically one of the sources of food and income for large parts of the population, continues to suffer from the consequences of war, destruction and economic collapse. Fishermen need access to the sea and the ability to work in order to provide for their families.
The Ministry of Agriculture said attacks on fishermen are taking place alongside an unprecedented living and economic crisis in Gaza, making the loss of the ability to work at sea an additional burden on families that depend directly or indirectly on the sector.
Palestinian fishermen have previously been arrested while at sea as part of practices targeting the fishing sector and continuously tightening pressure on those who work in it. The latest such incident came only days ago, when Israeli naval forces arrested ten fishermen off the Gaza coast.
The ministry placed Monday’s incident within a broader context, saying the shooting of fishermen while they practice their profession affects their right to work and their source of livelihood, while compounding the burdens facing Gaza’s residents.
Fishermen therefore find themselves facing a harsh equation: the sea, which should be a space for work and securing food, has become a constant source of danger, while the war and its economic repercussions have narrowed the options available to workers and professionals across the territory.
Specialists warn that the continuation of these practices threatens what remains of Gaza’s fishing sector and undermines fishermen’s ability to support their families, at a time when humanitarian needs are growing and most of the population is living under severe economic pressure.
As the Ministry of Agriculture renewed its call to protect fishermen and enable them to access the sea and practice their profession safely, Monday’s incident remained a reminder that attacks on Palestinians are not limited to areas of bombing and destruction. They also extend to the sea, where fishermen go out in search of food for their families, only to face the risk of injury or arrest instead of securing their livelihood.
