Israeli forces arrest three Palestinian fishermen, destroy boats off Gaza coast

Israeli forces arrest three fishermen, raising total arrests since the ceasefire to seven. (Photo/Anadolu Agency)

The Israeli Navy on Saturday arrested three Palestinian fishermen while they were working off the coast of Gaza City and destroyed two fishing boats, according to a local fishing union official.

Zakaria Bakr, head of the Fishermen’s Committees at the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (a non-governmental organisation), told Anadolu that Israeli naval forces detained three fishermen and destroyed two boats along with the equipment on board.

The navy initially detained 10 fishermen from the two boats, later throwing seven of them overboard and taking three to an undisclosed location, he added.

This brought the total number of fishermen arrested by Israel since the Gaza ceasefire earlier this month to seven, according to Bakr.

At the time, the Israeli army issued a statement warning of “the danger of fishing, swimming, or diving in Gaza’s coastal waters,” citing the terms of the ceasefire.

Despite the risks, Gaza fishermen continue to venture out to sea to provide for their families amid the collapse of the local economy and severe unemployment.

According to previous data from the World Bank, Israel’s two-year genocide on Gaza has pushed nearly all residents of the enclave into poverty, leaving them entirely dependent on humanitarian aid.

The Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, brokered through regional and international mediation, took effect on October 10.

Phase one of the truce included the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a partial Israeli withdrawal. The plan also envisages rebuilding Gaza and establishing a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

Since October 2023, the Israeli genocidal war has killed more than 68,000 people and injured more than 170,000 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

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Source: TRT