Israelis Arrest 15 Palestinian Fishermen and 3 Internationals Accompanying Them

Ed. note: This is a press release from the Free Gaza Movement, defying the Israeli blockade by bringing humanitarian supplies and international visitors to Gaza. They have now made three trips from Cyprus to Gaza and have also accompanied fishermen trying to fish in Palestinian waters off the coast of Gaza - the fishermen are routinely shot at and hosed with water cannons as they try to do their work to feed their families and community. See the links at the bottom for photos of the work of the Free Gaza Movement. For a video of the Israeli Navy's harrassment of the fishermen, see "A Day in the Life of a Gaza Fisherman": http://redressnewsblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/video-day-in-life-of-gazan-fisherman.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Caoimhe (Gaza) + 972 598 273 960
Donna (Gaza) + 972 598 836 420
Fida (Gaza - Arabic) – + 972 599 681 669
ISM Media Office - + 972 2-2971824

Fifteen Palestinian fishermen along with three internationals have been kidnapped in Palestinian waters by the Israeli Navy. They were fishing seven miles off the coast of Deir Al Balah, clearly in Gaza fishing waters and well within the fishing limit detailed in the Oslo Accords of 1994.

The fishermen and the human right's observers were transferred from 3 separate boats to the Israeli warships. Other Palestinian fishermen reported that the 3 boats were seen being taken north by the Israeli Navy.

The three internationals are Andrew Muncie from Scotland, Darlene Wallach from the United States and Victor Arrigoni from Italy. The U.K., U.S. and Italian embassies in Tel Aviv have been contacted and know about the abductions.

Please call the Israeli Ministry of Justice at +972 26 46 66 66 and register your outrage over these illegal actions by the Israeli Navy. Then call the Embassies in Jerusalem and make sure they know that many of us are appalled by Israel's illegal search and seizure.

Stephen Brown, UK Consulate +972 25 41 41 00
U.S. Consulate General + 972-2-6227230
Luigi MATTIOLO, Italian Ambassador +972 3 5104004


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Greta Berlin
Media Team
Free Gaza Movement
357 99 08 17 67
www.freegaza.org
www.anis-online.de/office/events/FreeGazaSong.htm
www.flickr.com/photos/29205195@N02/