Israel lifts ban on sale of Gaza fish in West Bank

Palestinian fishermen in Gaza have started to send fish to the occupied West Bank, after Israel lifted the fishing ban recently.The ban on fishing and selling fish had been in place for about one and a half months, since Israel’s last attack on Gaza on 5 August. Although the ban was lifted, the amount of fish being exported was limited to 13 tonnes, from 100 tonnes before the Israeli aggression. While exports can now only take place once a week, down from two previously.

Israel regularly tightens its 15-year blockade of Gaza, limiting Palestinians’ access to imports, exports and travel. Making the enclave an open air prison.

According to the Palestinian Fishermen’s Association in Gaza, there are some 4,000 fishermen working in Gaza’s fishing sector, who are looking after about 50,000 dependents.

The profession has been deemed dangerous by rights organisations due to Israel’s harassment of fishermen at sea.

Last year alone, Israeli occupation forces attacked Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip on at least 320 occasions, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) reported, 63 more attacks than the previous year. Israel also closed the fishing area altogether for 16 days in August.

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