’Israel’ Fires Heavily at Gaza Fishermen, Detains 5

Local Editor

"Israeli" naval forces detained five Gaza fishermen off the coast of Gaza City early Wednesday, an employee of a human rights said, in a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement that ended a bloody 50-day "Israeli" aggression on Gaza.

The employee, speaking on the condition of anonymity, clarified that the "Israeli" naval forces opened fire "heavily" on a group of Palestinian fishermen.
"Israeli" forces "forced a boat of five fisherman from the Bakr family to stop, detained them, and dragged the boat to an unknown location."

No injuries were reported.

Since the signing of a ceasefire agreement that ended the 50-day "Israeli" aggression on Gaza on August 26, the "Israeli" navy has violated the truce repeatedly, opening fire at fishermen within the new limits.

The August 26 agreement stipulated that "Israel" would immediately expand the fishing zone off Gaza's coast, allowing fishermen to sail as far as six nautical miles from shore, and would continue to expand the area gradually.

Last week, "Israeli" forces opened fire at a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of the Gaza Strip.
The boat belonged to local fisherman Jamal Abu Watfa who lost consciousness after the incident, but was saved from the water. The boat sunk and Watfa's financial losses could reach more than $140,000.

There are an estimated 4,000 fishermen in Gaza.

The eight-year "Israeli" blockade has severely crippled Gaza's economy and contributed to the frequent humanitarian crises and hardship for Gaza residents.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team