Israel navy shoots at Gaza fishing boats

Israel’s navy on Saturday opened its fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of the Gaza Strip, a man speaking for the blockaded enclave’s fishermen said.

“There have been, however, no casualties from the shooting,” Nizar Ayyash, the head of Gaza’s fishermen’s union, told Anadolu Agency.

He said in shooting at the boats, the Israeli navy claimed that they had gone beyond six nautical miles specified for fishing activities by the Palestinians off the coast of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli navy routinely shoots at Palestinian fishing boats under the pretext that they go beyond fishing space specified for them, Ayyash said, noting that Israeli attacks usually sabotage the business of Palestinian fishermen.

In late August, Israel allowed Palestinian fishermen to ply their trade up to six nautical miles off the coast of the Gaza Strip – as opposed to three miles previously.

A cease-fire reached between Israel and Palestinian factions on August 26 ended 51 days of relentless Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip – attacks that killed over 2,160 Palestinians – and also increased fishing space for Gaza’s fishermen off the coast of Gaza.

Some 50,000 people earn their living in Gaza by fishing, Ayyash said.