标签： Asia

Ismail Farhat, a Gaza fisherman, endured over two months of brutal detention and torture by Israeli forces after being apprehended at sea—a testament to the systematic targeting of Palestinian fishermen amid Israel’s complete naval blockade of the Strip.

Despite having his original fishing boat destroyed in previous Israeli bombardments, Farhat continued venturing out on a small handmade punt to feed his family. On October 8, his routine fishing expedition turned into a nightmare when an Israeli naval vessel intercepted him near Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.

According to Farhat’s account to Middle East Eye, soldiers forced him to strip and swim to their vessel before subjecting him to repeated interrogations. After initially being released, he was abruptly recaptured minutes later when soldiers called him by name and ordered him back into the water.

“They began insulting and beating me,” Farhat recounted. “As usual, they accused every fisherman of being affiliated with Hamas. They told me I was Hamas and pretending to be a fisherman.”

Farhat was transported to the notorious Sde Teiman detention facility, where approximately 150 Palestinian detainees were held under severe conditions. For 50 consecutive days, he remained handcuffed around the clock, forbidden from speaking, leaning, or sleeping on anything but iron mesh. Any unintentional movement resulted in punishment, including forced standing for hours.

Medical care was virtually nonexistent. Requests for painkillers were routinely denied, with detainees subjected to lengthy procedures for even single doses of medication. Farhat described nighttime raids by commando units throwing stun and smoke grenades at prisoners, who were often forced to remain kneeling.

His experience reflects a broader pattern of systematic suppression of Gaza’s fishing industry. According to Zakaria Bakr, head of the Fishermen Union Committees in Gaza, Israeli forces have destroyed over 95% of Gaza’s fishing sector through killing fishermen, destroying boats, and targeting vital infrastructure including storage facilities, the ice factory, Gaza Port, and the fish market.

The Palestinian Fishermen Syndicate reports at least 230 fishermen killed since October 2023, with 65 shot dead while actively working at sea. Despite theoretical rights to access up to 20 nautical miles under the Oslo Accords, Israel has imposed a complete naval closure reducing the permitted fishing area to zero.

Before the war, approximately 4,500 registered fishermen operated in Gaza, with another 3,500 working under temporary permits or in related sectors. Today, only 400-500 remain, using makeshift platforms reconstructed from destroyed boats and refrigerator doors. Daily catches have plummeted from pre-war levels of up to 15 tonnes to just 16 kilograms collectively.

“No one is allowed to enter the sea,” Bakr stated. “This is collective punishment.”

Farhat was released on December 16 as part of ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Palestinian factions, but countless fishermen remain detained without charge, their families deprived of both livelihoods and loved ones in what human rights organizations describe as a deliberate strategy of maritime suppression.

In a landmark conservation achievement, the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve has successfully reintroduced the critically endangered red-necked ostrich to Saudi Arabia’s deserts after nearly a century of absence. This ambitious initiative represents a biological replacement for the extinct Arabian ostrich, which vanished from the region in the early 20th century due to excessive hunting and habitat destruction.

The red-necked ostrich (Struthio camelus camelus), known historically as the ‘camel bird’ and genetically identified as the closest living relative to the Arabian subspecies, has been carefully selected for its remarkable adaptability to arid environments. With fewer than 1,000 individuals remaining worldwide—primarily scattered across Africa’s Sahel region—this reintroduction marks a critical intervention for the species’ survival.

This project forms part of a comprehensive ecosystem restoration strategy that has already reintroduced 12 of 23 historically occurring species, including the Arabian oryx, Persian onager, and various gazelle species. The 24,500 square kilometer reserve, spanning from the Harrat lava fields to the Red Sea, represents one of the Middle East’s most biodiverse protected areas, encompassing 15 distinct ecosystems while hosting over 50% of Saudi Arabia’s documented species.

The reintroduction program aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative, which commit to protecting 30% of the Kingdom’s terrestrial and marine territories by 2030. The royal reserve system, established by royal decree and overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, represents a significant national investment in environmental stewardship and biodiversity conservation.

Ostriches serve as essential ecosystem engineers, contributing to seed dispersal, insect population control, and maintaining healthy rangeland habitats. Their return promises to restore ecological functions lost with the extinction of the Arabian ostrich, while reviving cultural connections to a species celebrated in ancient Arabic poetry and depicted in sandstone petroglyphs throughout the region.

Israeli authorities executed a significant demolition operation in East Jerusalem’s Silwan neighborhood on Monday, leveling a four-story residential structure that housed approximately 100 Palestinian residents. The pre-dawn operation, described by human rights organizations as the largest single demolition in the area this year, resulted in the displacement of numerous families, including women, children, and elderly residents.

According to eyewitness accounts, Israeli security forces entered the building while occupants were sleeping, allowing them only minimal time to gather essential documents and clothing before bulldozers commenced demolition. The scene unfolded with personal belongings scattered across adjacent streets as three heavy machinery units systematically dismantled the structure under heavy police cordon.

The Jerusalem Municipality justified the action citing a 2014 court order that designated the land for recreational and sports purposes rather than residential use. Officials maintained the demolition addressed illegal construction in accordance with urban planning regulations.

However, Palestinian activists and human rights groups presented a contrasting narrative. The Jerusalem Governorate, affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, characterized the demolition as part of a systematic policy to forcibly displace Palestinian residents and alter the demographic composition of the city. Israeli organizations Ir Amim and Bimkom revealed that the demolition proceeded without prior notice, despite a scheduled meeting to discuss potential legalization measures for the structure.

The incident highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding Jerusalem’s status, particularly in neighborhoods like Silwan where hundreds of Israeli settlers live among approximately 50,000 Palestinians. Palestinians face severe restrictions in obtaining construction permits through Israel’s planning system, creating a housing crisis that has persisted since Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. This latest demolition brings the total to approximately 100 East Jerusalem families displaced through such operations in 2025 alone.