Israeli forces target Gaza fishermen amid devastating restrictions
Ten Palestinian fishermen detained after Israeli forces opened fire, as Gaza’s fishing industry faces widespread destruction and economic collapse
GAZA CITY, Palestine (MNTV) — Israeli naval forces detained 10 Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after opening fire on their boats, adding to the severe restrictions and destruction that have devastated the territory’s fishing sector.
According to the Palestine News Agency, the fishermen were detained off the coast of Zawayda in central Gaza and near Sheikh Ajlin, southwest of Gaza City.
The Union of Fishermen’s Committees said Israeli forces fired at the fishermen’s boats before taking the detainees to the Israeli port of Ashdod. Seven of the fishermen were subsequently released, while three were taken to an unknown location.
The arrests come as Gaza’s fishing industry faces what Palestinian rights groups describe as extensive destruction since Israel began its bombardment of the coastal enclave in late 2023.
A report by the Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights and the Palestinian NGOs Network said at least 202 people working in Gaza’s fishing sector have been killed since the start of the Israeli military campaign. The report also said 90 percent of the territory’s fishing boats have been destroyed.
The destruction has effectively stripped thousands of Palestinians of their livelihoods. The Israeli navy said last month that no motorized fishing boats remain in Gaza.
At least 4,500 fishermen and another 1,500 workers employed in related trades have been left without their primary source of income, according to the report cited by Arab News.
The damage extends beyond fishing vessels. Gaza’s main port, along with infrastructure supporting the fishing economy, has suffered extensive destruction.
Zakaria Bakr, head of Gaza’s Fishermen’s Committees, accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting fishing facilities throughout the war.
“Since the war began, Israeli forces have deliberately targeted docks and fishing vessels with gunboats and airstrikes,” Bakr said, according to Arab News.
He said approximately 95 percent of fishermen’s property had been destroyed, including ice factories, fish markets and the main trading center at Gaza’s port.
The assault on the fishing sector has compounded the economic and humanitarian pressure facing Palestinians in Gaza. For fishermen who once depended on the Mediterranean for food and income, the destruction of boats, port facilities and related businesses has removed an essential means of survival.
The latest arrests also highlight the continuing restrictions faced by Palestinians attempting to access Gaza’s coastal waters. Even as the fishing sector struggles to survive, fishermen remain exposed to Israeli naval fire and detention.
The destruction of Gaza’s fishing infrastructure has therefore affected not only individual fishermen but also workers involved in processing, storing, selling and transporting fish.
The latest incident adds to the mounting evidence cited by Palestinian organizations of the severe impact of Israel’s military operations and restrictions on Gaza’s civilian economy.
With motorized fishing boats no longer operating in the territory, thousands of workers have been deprived of livelihoods in a sector that once formed an important part of Gaza’s coastal economy.
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