![A Palestinian fisherman stands on his boat in Gaza City on 26 February 2017 [MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2017_2-26-gaza-fishermenGettyImages-645453684.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Five Palestinian fishermen were detained last night by Israeli naval forces off the northern Gaza coast.
According to a Wafa correspondent, the Israeli naval forces intercepted a fishing boat in the Al-Sudaniya shore and seized the boat after detaining the fishermen onboard.
Despite agreements which allow fishermen to work off the coast of Gaza for up to 12 nautical miles, Palestinian fishermen often suffer from multiple Israeli violations, including attempts to sink their boats while at sea, firing at them, as well as narrowing the fishing area for long periods.
Human right organisations in Gaza have documented hundreds of Israeli violations against Palestinian fishermen since October 2000. Their boats have been damaged, destroyed or confiscated, and many have been killed and wounded by the Israeli occupation navy.
The attacks come 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.
READ: Israel detains 4 Palestine fishermen, seizes their boat off Gaza coast
Some 2.3 million Palestinians live in the narrow enclave. They are largely unable to leave to seek employment abroad, and have been squeezed by 15 years of a siege imposed by Israel.
The occupation state has launched four major military offensives against the civilian population since 2008. Gaza also borders Egypt, which imposes its own restrictions on passage through the Rafah border crossing.