Israeli gunboats open fire on fishermen off the Rafah coast

A Palestinian security source and local fishermen have reported that Israeli gunboats opened fire on a number of Palestinian fishing vessels off the coast of Rafah (southern Gaza Strip) on Tuesday.

One fisherman, Mohammed El-Bardawil said, in a telephone conversation with Quds Press: “They have forced us to leave the sea …the fire was about to kill the fishermen who were on the board of the boat.”

Since the outbreak of the Aqsa Intifada in September 2000, Israeli gunboats have been attempting to narrow the fishing space used by Palestinian fishermen by attacking their boats and arresting many of them.

Fishermen in the Gaza Strip are not allowed to fish beyond a distance of three nautical miles even though the Oslo Accord between the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Israel provides for fishing at a range of 20 nautical miles off-shore.

Meanwhile, in another attack, local residents reported that the Israeli army opened fire on dozens of farmers east of Rafah.

Palestinian farmers have been struggling to gain access to their fields that lie adjacent to the “Truce Line” since the capture of the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, in June 2006.