Israeli forces shoot at Palestinian fisherman, arrest four off Gaza coast

Israel arrested four Palestinian fishermen off the Mediterranean coast of Gaza on Saturday, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

The secretary of the Gaza fishermen’s syndicate, Nizar Ayyash, told Reuters there were at least three Israeli attacks on Gaza fishermen on Saturday -- all within the permitted fishing area.

Ayyas said that in one of the incidents, Israeli forces fired rubber bullets at a boat, wounding two of the four people aboard who were later hospitalised. In another, they seized a small boat after detaining the two fishermen on board, he added.

"We have recorded several violations against fishermen within the permitted fishing zone in the past weeks," said Ayyash.

Meanwhile, Israel's military said it had arrested four fishermen after two Palestinian vessels allegedly strayed from the designated fishing zone in the northern Gaza Strip.

Fishing is one of the biggest industries in the coastal enclave, home to some 2.3 million Palestinians.

Israel maintains a land, air and sea blockade of Gaza, effectively besieging the Palestinian territory. Boats are not allowed to stray beyond a fixed limit to the north towards Israel and Egypt keeps similar limitations to the south-west.

(Reuters)