KHAN YUNIS, Saturday, The Israeli occupation’s navy attacked Palestinian fishing boats this evening off the southern shores of the Gaza Strip, forcing fishermen to return to the shore, according to local sources.
WAFA correspondent said the Israeli navy fired live bullets and opened high-velocity streams of water towards fishermen sailing approximately six nautical miles away from the city of Khan Yunis, forcing them to stop fishing and return to the shore.
Israeli naval forces and their gunboats have long been harassing Gaza fishermen, shooting at them, damaging their boats and making arrests. In some occasions, fishermen were injured or even killed during gunfire attacks by the Israeli navy.
In addition to attacking fishermen, Israel regularly bans boats from accessing the water and reduces the fishing zone which Palestinians from Gaza can access.
Israeli occupation authorities have been enforcing a blockade from the land, air and sea on the Gaza Strip since 2007.
The blockade has restricted fishing for the 3,700 registered fishermen in Gaza – the majority of whom live below the poverty line by shrinking the fishing zone from 25 nautical miles, down to only six to nine nautical miles, according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem.
SOURCE: PALESTINE NEWS & INFO AGENCY