Egyptian naval fire kills Gaza fisherman

Egyptian naval fire kills Gaza fisherman
Egyptian navy shot dead a Palestinian fisherman on Thursday, near the Gaza-Egypt border, according to a Gaza health ministry official.
1 min read
06 November, 2015
Fishermen in Gaza have often been targeted by Israeli navy [AFP]
An Egyptian naval patrol shot dead a Palestinian fisherman and wounded another Thursday off the coast near the border between Gaza and Egypt, a Gaza health ministry spokesman said.

The victim was identified as Faris Meqdad, 18, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.

The Gaza interior ministry condemned the shooting and demanded an inquiry.

"We condemn the shooting by the Egyptian military which left a Palestinian fisherman dead and another injured," it said in a statement.

"We are asking the Egyptian military to immediately open an investigation to find who committed this crime."

Egyptian forces have previously opened fire on Gazans they accused of crossing the maritime border between Egypt and the Palestinian enclave.

Extremist fighters have been battling Egyptian forces in the restive Sinai peninsula, which borders Gaza.

Egypt rarely opens its border with Gaza, and the strip also faces an Israeli blockade.

Since the ouster of its Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013, Egypt says it has destroyed hundreds of tunnels used to transport militants, merchandise and arms between Gaza and the Sinai.