GAZA CITY
Israeli naval forces on Monday sank a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip and detained five fishermen.
"Israeli gunboats opened fire on a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip," Nizar Ayyash, head of Gaza's Palestinian Fishermen's Union, told The Anadolu Agency.
He said that the Palestinian fishing boat had sunk.
"Israeli forces detained five fishermen," he added.
There have been no reports of casualties. Israeli army has yet to comment.
The Israeli navy routinely shoots at Palestinian fishing boats on the pretext that they are fishing in unauthorized waters.
Last summer, Israel allowed Palestinian fishermen to ply their trade up to six nautical miles off the coast of the Gaza Strip – as opposed to three miles previously.
A cease-fire reached in August between Israel and Palestinian factions ended 51 days of relentless Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which killed over 2,160 Palestinians.
According to Ayyash, some 50,000 Gazans earn their living from fishing.
Ever since Hamas – which Israel deems a "terrorist" organization – won 2006 legislative polls, the self-proclaimed Jewish state has imposed a tight land and sea blockade on the coastal strip.
www.aa.com.tr/en
