GAZA, July 17, 2018 (WAFA) – In a move seen as part of Israel’s collective punishment policy that affects the daily life and wellbeing of more than two million Palestinians restricted to the besieged Gaza Strip, the Israeli military government decided to reduce the fishing zone for Gazans to only three nautical mile starting Tuesday.
While the Oslo agreement signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1993 allows Gazans to fish up to 12 nautical miles in the Mediterranean Sea, Israel unilaterally reduced this area after it imposed the crippling siege on Gaza in 2006 to only three miles. It however recently raised it to six until it decided this week to reduce it again to three nautical miles to punish Gaza for its so-called incendiary balloons that have caused fire in Israeli border towns’ fields.
This step in only one in several other measures Israel has taken in the last few days to further strangulate an already hard-hit Gaza Strip, as confirmed by international humanitarian agencies. These include closing Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, the only commercial border crossing for Gaza linked to both Egypt and Israel, for all products, including badly needed fuel and food but excluding medicine.
Raed Fattouh, coordinator for the movement of goods in and out Gaza, said Israel informed the Palestinians of its decision to close Karm Abu Salem crossing until further notice for all goods excluding medicinal products and only when necessary.
Israel also warned that unless the balloons stop, it is going to escalate its punitive measures and also close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for individuals.
Israel is also preparing to stage a new war on Gaza and its army has started military drills simulating an invasion of the Gaza Strip.
The United Nations and Egypt have been working tirelessly to reduce tension between Israel and Gaza before a new war breaks up.
United Nations Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov visited Gaza on Sunday for four hours and warned that Gaza, which lived through three devastating Israeli war since 2008, is on the brink of another round of conflict that could be even more devastating than the previous ones.
M.K.
