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Israeli Navy. File? Source: AlRay Published by IMEMC News
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by IMEMC News

Israeli naval forces targeted, on Thursday at dawn, several Palestinian fishermen, while attempting to earn a living, sailing off the northern shores of the Gaza Strip.

Local media outlets and witnesses said that Israeli naval vessels attacked fishermen in Alwaha, Alsudaniya areas, north of the coastal enclave, as the fishermen were sailing about 4 nautical miles, deep inside the sea.

They added that the vessels opened heavy fire on the fishermen.

The sources reported causalities among the fishermen and that fishermen were forced to leave the shores, immediately.

Since 2007, when Israeli authorities imposed a crippling blockade on the coastal territory, Israeli naval forces began targeting fishermen off the coast of Gaza, as Israel had also enforced a sea blockade that restricted fishing zones from 25 nautical miles, down to only 6 nautical miles.

Since 2012, Israel began easing the marine blockade, allowing fishermen to sail deep into sea from between 6 and 9 nautical miles.

In 2015, Israel allowed fishing up to 15 nautical miles, but only in limited areas along the Gaza coast.

Image: Alray