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Israel Returns Boat to Gaza Fisherman After Court Order

Several thousand Gazans depend on fishing for their livelihoods but often changing Israeli restrictions have led to prolonged layoffs that mean many live below the poverty line | AFP
Several thousand Gazans depend on fishing for their livelihoods but often changing Israeli restrictions have led to prolonged layoffs that mean many live below the poverty line | AFP
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Israel Returns Boat to Gaza Fisherman After Court Order

Several thousand Gazans depend on fishing for their livelihoods but often changing Israeli restrictions have led to prolonged layoffs that mean many live below the poverty line | AFP
Several thousand Gazans depend on fishing for their livelihoods but often changing Israeli restrictions have led to prolonged layoffs that mean many live below the poverty line | AFP

Israel returned a boat to a Gaza fisherman it had seized for allegedly breaching the limits of the Palestinian enclave's fishing zone, an NGO said Sunday, following an Israeli court order.

Israeli authorities had called for the vessel, belonging to fisherman Mohammad al-Hissi, to be permanently confiscated, triggering fears of more such seizures off the Gaza Strip, AFP reported.

But a Haifa court last month ordered that the boat be returned to Hissi even as legal proceedings continued, according to Gisha, the Israeli group defending the Gazan.

Hissi received his vessel on Friday, Gisha said.

According to Miriam Marmur, public advocacy director at Gisha, the Israeli navy had seized Hissi's boat in November 2022.

She also told AFP the navy had seized another boat belonging to Hissi's relative Jihad al-Hissi in February 2022 -- but it had been released in September.

The court case against Israeli authorities demanding the two boats be permanently seized is ongoing, Marmur added.

While it ordered the boats be returned until the end of proceedings, "the court also subjected the release of the boats to onerous conditions, including a substantial financial deposit", Gisha said in a separate statement.

Mohammad al-Hissi was unreachable for comment but his relative Jihad said the court order was still "unfair".

"The decision is unfair because we paid a large amount of money in addition to our loss of not being able to fish" since the boats were seized, he told AFP.

Contacted by AFP, the Israeli army had no immediate comment.

The navy had seized the vessels off Gaza, claiming they had breached restrictions enforced by Israel.

The authorities later called for the boats to be permanently confiscated in what Gisha said was a "first of its kind" request.

"Israel has no authority to seize boats engaging in fishing for sustenance and income in Gaza's sea space, much less to permanently confiscate them," Gisha said.

The issue is crucial for thousands in the blockaded Palestinian territory of 2.3 million people, where fishing in the Mediterranean Sea remains one of the few economic lifelines.

The fishing zone allowed by Israel currently extends only to the heavily fished areas between six and 15 nautical miles (about 11 to 28 kilometres) off the Gaza coast.

The court battle comes amid a rise in Israel's temporary seizures of fishing boats suspected of smuggling or breaching the fishing zone.

Last year saw 23 boat confiscations, the highest number since 2018, according to the Palestinian non-governmental group Al Mezan.

Israel says its land, air, and sea blockade of Gaza is needed to protect it from rocket and other attacks from Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules the enclave.

Palestinians argue it is an effective siege that has crippled Gaza's economy and further impoverished its people.

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Arab World

Lebanon, UNIFIL Reaffirm Commitment to Continuing Peacekeeping Patrols

A UNIFIL vehicle patrols along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel (UNIFIL)
A UNIFIL vehicle patrols along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel (UNIFIL)
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Lebanon, UNIFIL Reaffirm Commitment to Continuing Peacekeeping Patrols

A UNIFIL vehicle patrols along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel (UNIFIL)
A UNIFIL vehicle patrols along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel (UNIFIL)

Lebanon’s government and the United Nations peacekeeping force (UNIFIL) have reaffirmed that patrols in southern Lebanon would continue uninterrupted, after two young men briefly blocked a UNIFIL convoy in the first such incident since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect in November.

Two local youths riding a motorcycle intercepted a UNIFIL armored patrol vehicle on Friday, forcing it to withdraw. A video circulated online showed one of the men saying, “They are not allowed to enter without the Lebanese army.”

The incident occurred in Tayr Debba, some 20 km north of the Israeli border but still geographically south of the Litani River.

Candice Ardell, deputy director of the UNIFIL Media Office, said peacekeepers were conducting a patrol in support of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 when their convoy was twice obstructed by civilians.

Peacekeepers took an alternate route and were pursued for a short time, but were able to continue their planned patrol, Ardell said. She added that UNIFIL had reported the incident to the Lebanese army.

Ardell reminded all parties that UNIFIL operates in close coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and that any interference in the peacekeepers' duties violates Lebanon's commitments under Resolution 1701.

Government moves to contain incident

Lebanon’s government moved quickly on Saturday to contact the UNIFIL leadership and members of the five-party mechanism overseeing the ceasefire to contain the fallout from the incident.

A senior government source told Asharq Al-Awsat that “immediate high-level contacts were made to confirm that UNIFIL patrols will continue and that the mission will proceed with its mandate.”

Following the renewal of its mandate last August, UNIFIL pledged to work closely with the LAF, carrying out patrols across its area of operations south of the Litani, where about 20% of patrols are conducted jointly with the Lebanese army.

Last week, Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun approved the extension of UNIFIL’s mandate for another year.

UNIFIL forces remain visible on the ground around the clock under the authority granted by Resolution 1701, which is the framework for maintaining stability in southern Lebanon along the Blue Line separating Israel and Lebanon.

The ceasefire monitoring mechanism - known as the “Quintet” - includes UNIFIL, the Lebanese army, the Israeli army, and representatives from the United States and France, with Washington currently leading the group.

Public anger simmers

The obstruction has raised questions about whether the incident was a deliberate message to UNIFIL, possibly linked to Hezbollah.

Before the outbreak of hostilities on October 8, 2023, Hezbollah was often accused of orchestrating similar incidents through civilians to restrict UNIFIL’s movements.

However, retired Brig. Gen. Mounir Shehadeh, a former government coordinator with UNIFIL, said the latest incident appeared to be an isolated act.

“This was an individual action by a citizen and had nothing to do with Hezbollah,” Shehadeh told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding that the group had shown full cooperation with the army since the ceasefire began.

Still, Shehadeh acknowledged growing frustration among southern residents over what they see as UNIFIL’s failure to deter Israeli violations.

“People feel that while Lebanon is expected to fulfill all its obligations, Israel is not held accountable,” he said, pointing to daily Israeli raids, home demolitions, and cross-border attacks.

“This resentment fuels public anger at UNIFIL, but the latest obstruction was a personal act, with no link to Hezbollah,” he emphasized.

Political tensions surface

The incident echoes previous protests against UNIFIL’s movements in southern Lebanon, often blamed on Hezbollah, particularly in the lead-up to the Gaza war.

Ali Mourad, an anti-Hezbollah political activist, said such incidents are shaped by a political environment that fosters suspicion of the United Nations and the Lebanese army.

“These actions are not spontaneous,” Mourad told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“They send a political message - one that ultimately harms Lebanon’s own interests.”

Mourad urged southern political leaders to prioritize cooperation with UNIFIL, noting that both Hezbollah and its ally Amal had previously endorsed the ceasefire agreement.

“Obstructing UNIFIL damages Lebanon’s standing and plays into Israel’s hands by suggesting rejection of Resolution 1701,” Mourad said.

He stressed that any disputes with UNIFIL’s activities should be handled exclusively by the Lebanese state.

“It is the state’s responsibility to coordinate with UNIFIL, not individuals acting on their own,” he said.

“We must entrench the culture of turning to state institutions in all matters of dispute.”

UNIFIL said last Tuesday that its peacekeepers continue to patrol the Blue Line and report independently to the Security Council, even under extreme pressure.

During their patrols, they frequently encounter unexploded ordnance and remnants of war that pose dangers to civilians, the Lebanese army, and the peacekeepers themselves, it said.