Middle East Desk
Report
GAZA: Palestinian fishermen from the blockaded Gaza Strip are complaining about being deprived of access to the sea amid the military tensions between the Israeli army and the Islamic Hamas movement, ruler of Gaza. The fishermen all told Xinhua that they were “shocked” by the Israeli decision to prevent them from fishing, saying they had not been “informed about the complete closure.”
“We are hostages to the political situation in the coastal enclave,” said Hussain Abu Ryala, a local fisherman, while pulling his nets from the boat.
“Neither Israel nor the local authorities care about the fishermen and their families,” the 19-year-old added.
Israel on Sunday announced the closure of the fishing area off Gaza’s coast until further notice, a move that is certain to hit local fishers as fishing is all but their only source of livelihood.
Mohammed Baker, another fisherman from Gaza, said he was worried about his situation, especially if the military tensions continued for longer.
