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GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip on Friday morning, with no injuries reported, locals said.

A Ma'an reporter said that after the gunshots were fired, fishermen were forced to return to shore.

An Israeli army spokesperson had no immediate information on the reports.

A day earlier, Israeli naval forces detained two fishermen off the coast of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip.

As part of Israel's blockade of the coastal enclave, Gazan fishermen are required to work within a limited "designated fishing zone," but the Palestinian Center for Human Rights says that Israeli naval forces often shoot at fishermen within these limits.

Due to the high frequency of the attacks, live fire on fishing boats often goes unreported.

The group recorded at least 117 incidents of forces opening fire fishermen in the first nine months of 2015, injuring 22 Palestinians.
"These attacks occurred in a time where the fishers did not pose any threat to the Israeli naval troops, as they were doing their job to secure a living," the center said.

In the same period, at least 15 Palestinian fishermen were detained.
Despite Israel's pledge to expand the fishing zone following the 2014 Gaza war, the limits have remained in place.
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