By Ola Attalah
GAZA
Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, a spokesman for Gaza's fishermen said.
"The Israeli army claims that the boats had violated the set fishing zone," Nizar Ayash, head of Gaza's Palestinian Fishermen's Union, told Anadolu Agency.
He went on to accuse the Israeli navy of violating a cease-fire between Palestinian factions and Israel by opening fire on Palestinian fishermen.
Late last month, Israel allowed Palestinian fishermen to ply their trade up to six nautical miles off the coast of the Gaza Strip under an August 26 cease-fire with Palestinian factions.
But the Palestinian Agriculture Ministry last week accused the Israeli navy of reducing the fishing zone for Palestinians to five nautical miles.
The cease-fire ended 51 days of relentless Israeli attacks on the coastal enclave, which saw 2,156 Palestinians killed – the vast majority of them civilians – and nearly 11,000 injured.
Over the course of Israel's offensive, initially launched with the stated aim of ending rocket fire from Gaza, at least 72 Israelis – 67 soldiers and five civilians – were killed, according to Israeli figures.
One day before Israel's military offensive began on July 7, the Israeli navy banned fishing off the Gaza coast altogether.
According to Ayyash, some 50,000 Gazans earn their living from the fishing business. He estimated their combined losses during Israel's 51-day assault at more than $6 million.
Ever since Hamas – which Israel deems a "terrorist" organization – won Gaza's 2006 legislative polls, Israel has imposed a tight land and sea blockade on the coastal strip.
The self-proclaimed Jewish state tightened the blockade further after Hamas took control of the enclave one year later.
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