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Scottish activist films Israeli navy shooting at Gaza fishermen
A SCOTTISH human rights activist has filmed the Israeli navy firing machine guns at unarmed Palestinian fishing boats in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of the Gaza Strip.
The footage, taken on September 6 by Andrew Muncie, who is from the Highlands, shows an Israeli gunboat engaging fishing boats while international observers hold their arms in the air and scream for them to stop firing.
No-one was injured in the incident, but Palestinian fishermen claim 14 colleagues have been murdered at sea by the Israeli navy since the onset of an economic blockade imposed after Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007. Israel says patrolling these waters is a vital security measure to stop weapons being smuggled into Gaza.
Muncie, 34, of Dalbreagha, Spean Bridge, is working with the Free Gaza movement and arrived in Gaza last month as part of a group of 40 activists who sailed on two boats from Cyprus in an attempt to breach Israel's blockade. He was accompanied by an 81-year-old nun, an 84-year-old holocaust survivor and Cherie Blair's sister, Lauren Booth.
Source: Sunday Herald
[Hat tip: Kimmy]
PS. The video is also available on YouTube here (at least for now!).
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I saw this and I was disgusted with Israel.
How can they deny Palestinians the right to feed themselves.
To me, this was against the Geneva Convention.
This was against anything pertaining to almost any religion or humanistic view.
THIS HAS TO STOP!
GAZA STRIP (17 September 2008) – An Italian human rights worker with the
Free Gaza Movement and International Solidarity Movement was injured today
by the Israeli navy while monitoring human rights abuses against
Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip.
Vittorio Arrigoni was hit by flying glass when the Israeli navy used a
high-power water cannon against the unarmed boats. The water canon smashed
the glass surrounding the steering section of the boat, with shards
lacerating Arrigoni’s back. He was taken to hospital immediately upon
reaching shore, requiring stitches.
The Israeli navy has imposed severe restrictions on fishing in Gazan
waters, regularly attacking any boats attempting to fish over 3 nautical
miles. With international accompaniment, fishermen have been attempting to
fish their own waters, outside of Israeli imposed limits.
40,000 people in Gaza make a living from the fishing industry, a community
that has been decimated both by violent Israeli attacks on unarmed
fishermen, as well as through the general blockade of fuel and other
needed supplies. According to the Fishing Syndicate in Gaza, fishermen
need 40,000
litres of fuel and 40,000 litres of natural gas each day to operate
throughout the high fishing season.
In the last year, over 70 fishermen have been arrested by Israeli forces
for fishing in their own waters. At least 14 unarmed fishermen have been
killed since 2000.
Vittorio’s blog is http://guerrillaradio.iobloggo.com/
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