The Israeli Radio has reported Thursday [July 4 2013] that several rounds of live ammunition have been fired, late on Wednesday at night, at an Israeli gunship near the Gaza Coast.The Radio said that the ship was “conducting a routine activity”, and that no damage or injuries were reported.
It added that the army initiated an investigation into the attack. Palestinian armed groups in Gaza did not claim responsibility for the incident.
It is worth mentioning that the Israeli Navy repeatedly opens fire at Palestinian fishermen and fishing boats sailing in Palestinian territorial waters, or even docking at the shore. Damage, casualties and arrests have been reported.
When Israel imposed the illegal siege on Gaza in 2006, the fishermen were limited to only three nautical miles off the Gaza shore. Yet, the fishermen and their boats are constantly attacked even within those three miles; dozens of casualties have been reported.
As part of the ceasefire agreement of November 2012, Israel agreed to allow the Palestinians to fish within six nautical miles of the shore, but unilaterally decreased the allotted area to three miles.
Last May, Israel decided to allow the fishermen to fish within six nautical miles of the Gaza shore, but the Navy continued to attack them even within the three nautical miles.
Under the Oslo accords in the mid-nineties, the Palestinians are supposed to be allowed to fish in 20 nautical miles off the Gaza shore.
