The three Palestinian fishermen who died in an off-shore blast over the weekend encountered an explosive-laden Israeli drone that fell into the sea and detonated in their nets, the Ministry of Interior in Gaza said on Thursday.
The explosion, which happened on Sunday, was initially thought to be an accident when militants were test-firing rockets into the sea, according to the Gaza-based human rights group, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.
Three #Fishermen Killed in Southern #Gaza (EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS) https://t.co/McIwLLYUgl via @PalestineChron #palestine #israel #IsraeliCrimes pic.twitter.com/F1qVvhSqvb
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 8, 2021
However, Eyad Al-Bozom, a spokesperson for the authority in Gaza, said that none of the Palestinian rockets hit the fishing boat.
Investigations had uncovered an Israeli quadcopter drone that was caught in their nets and exploded, killing the three fishermen.
The official said that the drone had probably been in the water since an Israeli attack on a Palestinian naval craft on February 22 off the besieged enclave’s maritime territory.
At the time of the explosion, the Israeli military had denied any involvement in the incident.
4 days ago, 3 #Gazan #fishermen were killed on their fishing boat due to a previously unidentified #explosion. According to an investigation by the #Palestinian Interior Ministry, the explosion was caused when their nets caught on an explosive attached to a sunken #Israeli drone. pic.twitter.com/dpqLkIIEPI
— Good Shepherd Collective (@Shepherds4Good) March 11, 2021
The father of one of the slain fishermen expressed his relief regarding the outcome of the investigation, according to the Palestine Chronicle correspondent in Gaza Wafaa Aludaini.
“We are satisfied with the ministry’s investigation,” the father of Yahya Mustafa al-Laham said, “and we call on all international institutions and bodies to work to protect Palestinian fishermen, and to punish Israel for its crime against us.”
In 2006, Israel imposed a land, sea, and air blockade on the strip, effectively turning the coastal enclave into an open-air prison, where basic necessities such as food, fuel and medicines are severely restricted.
Israel restricts the distance of Gaza’s fishing zone as part of a decade-long blockade on the territory, claiming it is a preventative security measure.
Palestinian fishermen have been prevented from carrying out their work with live fire and water cannons and by tearing fishing nets and damaging engines.
ICYMI: Three #Palestinian fishermen who died in an offshore blast had encountered an explosive-laden #Israeli drone that had fallen into the sea and blew up in their nets, says the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in #Gaza.https://t.co/1nf06uJC03
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) March 12, 2021
A number of fishermen have been killed or injured as a result.
The policy has also crippled the fishing industry in coastal Gaza, with over 90 percent of fishermen dependent on aid to survive, according to rights groups.
The restricted fishing zone has led to overfishing in this small area, resulting in depleted fish stocks.
(Palestine Chronicle, The New Arab, Social Media)
