Israel and Egypt detain Palestinian fishermen and seize boats off Gaza coast

Six Palestinian fishermen were detained yesterday by Israeli and Egyptian naval forces off the coast of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Al-Quds Al-Araby, has reported.

The Israeli navy apparently seized two fishing boats after surrounding them and arrested two fishermen. The Egyptian naval forces seized a third boat and arrested the Palestinians on board.

Local sources told Al-Quds Al-Araby that the arrests occurred at around noon while the Palestinians tried fishing in the border area. They added that warning shots were fired towards the fishermen.

The arrests came as residents of the enclave try to restore a semblance of normality to their lives following Israel’s latest bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip that killed 49 Palestinians, including 17 children and four women.

Some 2.3 million Palestinians live in the coastal enclave. They are largely unable to leave to seek employment abroad, and have been squeezed by fifteen years of a siege imposed by Israel and backed by Egypt.

Moreover, the occupation state has launched four major military offensives against the civilian population since 2008. Egypt imposes its own restrictions on Palestinians and others hoping to pass through the Rafah border crossing to reach the outside world.

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