Gaza fisherman tests waters in legal fight over blockade
Gaza fisherman Jihad al-Hissi is used to rough waters but he now faces a new storm. A Zionist entity court may seize his boat after he breached the limits of the enclave’s fishing zone. The issue is crucial for thousands in the blockaded Palestinian territory of 2.3 million people, where fishing in the Mediterranean Sea remains one of the few economic lifelines.
Hissi, 55, with square shoulders and a scruffy beard, told his story at Gaza’s dock early one morning as fishermen sold their overnight catch of sea bream, prawns and sardines. For now he has his boat, but its fate is uncertain as Zionist authorities argue before a Haifa court that it should be permanently taken away.
The vessel, used to catch gamberi prawns off southern Gaza near Egypt, is named the “Hajj Rajab”, but its owners have erased the name from its yellow hull. “I don’t want the Zionists to spot us and seize my boat,” said Hissi, who had a violent encounter with a Zionist naval patrol boat more than a year ago.
Zionist entity says its land, air and sea blockade of Gaza is needed to protect it from rocket and other attacks from Hamas and to prevent arms smuggling to the Islamist militant movement. Palestinians argue it is an effective siege that has crippled Gaza’s economy and further impoverished its people, while the fishing limits deny it crucial protein.
Last year’s incident came on February 14 when Hissi’s vessel ventured beyond the maritime zone that Zionist entity declared in 2007, the year Hamas seized power in Gaza. Jihad’s brother Nihad, who was at sea that day, said that “100 meters beyond the area, we were surprised by three Zionist boats with commandos. “They attacked our boat... tied us up and arrested us.” The boat’s cabin is still damaged from the water cannon blasts and the rubber-encased bullets fired by the Zionist forces that day. Zionist entity, in documents presented to court, accuses Hissi of having “repeatedly violated the security restrictions imposed by the Zionist army in the maritime zone adjacent to Gaza”. The Zionist non-government group Gisha has helped defend Hissi and in September secured the boat’s return, but Zionist authorities now demand the court “permanently confiscate” the vessel. The fishing zone allowed by Zionist entity currently extends only to the heavily fished areas between six and 15 nautical miles (about 11 to 28 kilometres) off the Gaza coast. Hissi argues this is less than the maximum of 20 nautical miles agreed in the 1990s under the Zionist-Palestinian agreements in Oslo. But he also admits to going even beyond that from time to time, in search of shrimp which nets around $21 per kilogram (2.2 pounds) and can make the difference between profit and loss.
The legal fight is closely watched by thousands of fishermen in Gaza. If Hissi’s boat is permanently confiscated, this would spell “a serious threat to the thousands of fishermen in Gaza, because it aims to put an end to fishing,” charged Nizar Ayyash, president of the union representing the 4,000 fishermen in Gaza.
The court battle comes amid a rise in Zionist’s temporary seizures of fishing boats suspected of smuggling or breaching the fishing zone. Last year saw 23 boat confiscations, the highest number since 2018, according to the Palestinian non-governmental group Al Mezan.