[Tuesday Morning, June 3, 2014] The Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA) has reported that Israeli navy ships fired rounds of live ammunition at Palestinian fishing boats near the Gaza shore.WAFA said the attack took place in the Sudaniyya area, northwest of Gaza city, and that the boats were within the six nautical miles unilaterally allocated by Israel for the fishers.
The attack led to property damage but no casualties; the fishermen sailed back to the shore fearing further Israeli assaults.
Israel repeatedly attacks Palestinian fishing boats in Gaza territorial waters, and its navy have repeatedly kidnapped fishers and confiscated their boats. The attacks also led to dozens of casualties.
On Friday, May 30, A Palestinian fisherman was shot and injured by Israeli forces off the northern Gaza Strip.
Gaza has been under a severe blockade imposed by Israel and enforced by Egypt since 2007. Palestinian fishermen are only allowed to fish within three nautical miles from Gaza’s shore, even though the previous agreement settled on 20 nautical miles.
There are 4,000 fishermen in Gaza and, according to a 2011 report by the International Committee of the Red Cross, 90 percent of them are impoverished — an increase of 40 percent from 2008.
