Gaza Fishermen Death Arrest and Deprivation of a Decent Life

The fishing sector in the Gaza Strip is experiencing one of its most difficult periods in history, as ongoing Israeli crimes and violations have transformed fishing from a primary source of income for thousands of families into a daily ordeal fraught with death, arrest, and loss.

The sea, which for decades served as an economic and social lifeline for the people of Gaza, has become an open arena for direct targeting, as part of a systematic policy aimed at destroying the fishing sector and drying up livelihoods.

Since the start of the ongoing aggression, the occupation has escalated its attacks against fishermen through direct fire, pursuit, arrest, confiscation of boats and equipment, and the imposition of severe restrictions on fishing areas. This has had a catastrophic impact on the living conditions and economic well-being of thousands of Palestinian families dependent on this profession.

The head of the fishermen’s committees, Zakaria Bakr, said that the occupation committed serious crimes against the fishermen, resulting in the martyrdom of 32 fishermen, and the injury of dozens with varying wounds, in addition to the arrest of 28 fishermen who are still in detention to this moment.