GAZA CITY, Palestine

Several Palestinian fishermen were injured on Friday by Israeli naval forces while fishing in the waters off the coast of Sudanyah, northwest of Gaza City, despite an ongoing ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

A medical source told Anadolu that the fishermen were struck by gunfire from Israeli naval vessels while they were engaged in their daily work. The exact number of injured individuals and the severity of their wounds have not been disclosed.

Israel’s army has imposed strict restrictions on Palestinian fishermen in Gaza, preventing them from venturing into the sea beyond a limited distance. These measures have been in place since the onset of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023 as part of a collective punishment strategy.

The restrictions on fishermen were further tightened under the ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel which went into effect on Jan. 19.

A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement has been in place since last month, pausing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 48,000 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.