Lift the restrictions on the Gaza fishing range

[Jefferson23]

Published:
24 Mar 2013

Reduction of the fishing range in the Gaza Strip in response to missile fire on southern Israel constitutes collective punishment and severely damages the livelihood of Gaza fishermen.

This past Thursday (21 March 2013) the IDF spokesperson announced that the Israeli military will once again reduce the permitted fishing range in the Gaza Strip from six nautical miles to three (approximately 5.5km). This is in response to missile fire by armed Palestinian groups towards the south of Israel on Thursday morning. In doing so, the military reinstated the harsh restrictions imposed on Gaza's fishermen prior to Operation Pillar of Defense. Earlier, the military announced it will close the Kerem Shalom crossing between Gaza and Israel in response to the shooting.


Under the Oslo Agreements, the fishing range was 20 nautical miles (approximately 37 km). However, over the years, the Israeli military gradually reduced this range, severely damaging the livelihood of thousands of families and the availability of this basic and inexpensive food in the markets, which had served as a significant nutritional source.


Following Operation Pillar of Defense, Israeli expanded the range from three to six miles, which somewhat improved the situation. The decision to once again reduce the fishing range in response to missile fire by armed groups constitutes collective punishment imposed on fishermen for the actions of others. Article 33 in the Fourth Geneva Convention forbids collective punishment and states that a person must not be punished for an act that he or she did not commit. It is Israel's duty to protect its borders and its citizens and to act to neutralize a threat when it arises, but this cannot justify the harsh damage to fishermen who have done nothing wrong.

B'Tselem calls on the military to rescind its latest decision and the restrictions imposed on fishermen in the Gaza Strip in the past years, and to permit fishing in the 20 miles range, as was set under the Oslo Agreements.


Background on restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip




http://www.btselem.org/gaza_strip/20130324_restrictions_on_fishing_should_be_lifted

on edit for clarity, OP re-posted paragraphs.

[azurnoir]

1. Thank you Israel clearly intends to create suffering on all of Gaza's population

as punishment for what a few individuals did, what is that called again????

[Jefferson23]

2. They're all savages, collective punishment is best recourse.

I don't think I need the sarcasm thingie here.

[Jefferson23]

3. Hamas appeals to Egypt after Israel halves Gaza fishing zone

By Dan Williams

GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas complained to Egypt on Friday after Israel suspended part of a Cairo-brokered truce agreement by halving Palestinian access to fishing waters in response to a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip.

Thursday's salvo at the Israeli border town of Sderot, which caused no casualties, coincided with a visit to Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank by U.S. President Barack Obama.

It was claimed by a small al Qaeda-linked faction that has challenged the Islamist Hamas group's rule in the Gaza Strip.

Israel, which holds Hamas responsible for any violence emanating from the enclave, retaliated by shutting the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing on the Gaza border and by enforcing a newly restricted 5 km (3 mile) wide fishing zone.

The zone had been extended to 11 km (6 miles) as part of an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire that ended an eight-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in November, in which 166 Palestinians and six Israelis were killed.

"We have informed Cairo of this violation and we are waiting to hear a clear position from Egyptian mediators on this," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said, giving no indication that Hamas wanted to abandon the ceasefire arrangement.

An Egyptian official confirmed that the Hamas complaint had been received, saying Israel had complained separately about the rocket attack - the second of its kind since November.

http://news.yahoo.com/hamas-appeals-egypt-israel-halves-gaza-fishing-zone-114933131.html