On Nov. 18, 15 Palestinian fisherman and three international activists were forcibly abducted by the Israeli Navy while fishing off the coast of the Gaza Strip. The three fishing boats were confiscated.
Israel claims that the boats violated the stipulations of the Oslo accords. The treaty states that Palestinians can fish 20 miles off the coast of Gaza; the boats were seven miles out to sea.
Palestinian fishermen are harassed on a daily basis. Their boats are shot at and they are forced closer and closer to shore. Their inability to fish ultimately affects tens of thousands of Palestinians who rely on the fishing industry to make a living and provide food to their families.
Due to public pressure, Israel released the Palestinians Nov. 19, but not their boats. The three activists are still being held. They have launched a hunger strike to protest their illegal detention and to demand that the boats be returned in pre-arrest condition to the owners.
