Israeli rights group B’Tselem released a report on Thursday, which deemed Israel’s killing of 23-year-old Muhammad Bakr off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip while he was fishing in May unjustifiable, and noted that Muhammad was killed even while within Israel’s unilaterally-declared designated fishing zone in Gaza, contradicting Israeli army reports.
According to field research conducted by B’Tselem, Muhammad and his relatives were fishing three nautical miles off the coast of Gaza, within Israel’s designated zone, in contradiction to the Israeli army’s version of events, as a spokesperson told Ma’an in May that Israeli forces opened live ammunition on the boat after it deviated from the designated fishing zone and continued to advance further into sea.
As part of Israel’s blockade of the coastal enclave since 2007, Palestinian fishermen have been required to work within a limited “designated fishing zone,” or buffer zone, the exact limits of which are decided by the Israeli authorities and have historically fluctuated.
The Israeli army routinely opens fire on Palestinian fishermen along the buffer zone, and each time the Israeli army contends that the Palestinians had strayed outside of the zone.
B’Tselem’s research found that Israeli navy boats had approached them, and one Israeli vessel stopped at the border of the fishing zone and the other continued high-speed toward the fishermen, while soldiers opened live ammunition and rubber bullets at the fishing boat.
Even as the fishermen attempted to flee the scene, the Israeli navy followed them and opened fire again at them when they reached 10-20 meters from the boat off the coast of Jabaliya, according to B’Tselem.
Fadi Bakr, Muhammad’s brother, told B’Tselem that he had originally thought that his brother was struck with a rubber bullet, but saw that Muhammad had been hit with a live bullet close to his heart. When the soldiers arrived they ordered them to stand at the front of the boat, but they screamed that Muhammad had been shot, and lifted his body up so Israeli soldiers could see for themselves.
According to Fadi, the soldiers took Muhammad toward Ashdod port. We came home without my brother Muhammad, who had set out with us in the morning to work and make a living for himself and his family, Fadi told B’Tselem.
Upon returning to Gaza’s shores Muhammad’s two brothers and cousin who were on the boat underwent interrogations for several hours with the Hamas Marine police, B’Tselem noted.
After learning that Muhammad was being treated at Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, Muhammad’s father received an Israeli–issued permit to visit him. But by the time he reached the hospital, Muhammad had passed away, B’Tselem stated.
Omar Bakr, a fisherman who had helped Muhammad’s brothers and cousin following the incident, told B’Tselem that Gaza’s fishermen pay for working at sea with our lives.
When we set out we feel as if we’re entering a firing zone, because the Israeli navy chases us and shoots at us. They try to stop us from fishing by firing live bullets at us, arresting us and damaging our boats. Fishing has become a very difficult job, because the Israeli navy chases us even within the zone in which we are allowed to fish.
B’Tselem also noted that it had received statistics from Gaza’s fishing department in the Ministry of Agriculture, which stated that Israeli forces in 2016 had detained 113 Palestinian fishermen, and shot and injured 10, while Israeli forces have confiscated 38 motorized flat boats and eight boats without motors.
The department estimated that the price of the damages caused by these Israeli activities in Gaza has amounted to approximately half a million dollars.
As long as Israel maintains this policy, innocent fishermen will sadly continue to risk their lives in an attempt to make a living for their families. Some will return safely. Others will be arrested, injured or killed, B’Tselem stated in the report.
No one in Israel will be held accountable for the attacks, and the usual whitewashing formalities will be applied to these ongoing acts of violence.
According to Ma’an documentation, Bakr is one of 34 Palestinians to be killed by Israeli forces since the start of 2017, five of whom have been killed in Gaza.
Ma’an News Agency