The Sea Chapter

Under the Gaza-Jericho Agreement, part of the peace agreements between the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Israel known as the Oslo Accords, fishermen in Gaza were legally allowed to venture out 20 nautical miles. In 2002 the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan empowered Catherine Bertini to negotiate with Israel on key issues regarding the humanitarian crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and a 12 nautical mile fishing limit was agreed upon. In 2006, Israel reduced the limit to 6 nautical miles and since the military “Operation Cast Lead” in December 2008, the limit was set up to 3 miles. Local and international eyewitnesses claim this limit is imposed by gun fire.