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Fishermen fired on off Gaza coast

February 16, 2014 at 3:24 pm

An Israeli gunboat attacked some Palestinian fishing vessels off the north coast of Gaza just after 8am local time today. According to MEMO’s Ibrahim Hewitt, who witnessed the attack from the Gaza shore, the Palestinian fishermen looked to be well within the Israeli-imposed 6 mile limit. International law recognises a 12-mile limit of territorial water around the world.


“I heard the firing when I opened the window this morning,” said Hewitt, who is visiting Gaza with a small delegation of British MPs in his role as chair of the charity Interpal. “As I watched, the drama unfold, I could see the sea being churned up by the gunfire from the Israeli boat.” It didn’t appear to hit the fishing boats. The two small Palestinian vessels were then seen to move south, away from the gunboat, which then turned away and returned to its holding position off the coast of Ashkelon.

No casualties have been reported at the time of writing.