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GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli naval forces on Wednesday detained four Palestinian fishermen off the coast of al-Sudaniyya in the northern Gaza Strip, locals said.

The fishermen, all members of the Bakr family, were reportedly taken to an unknown destination. Israeli forces also confiscated their boats.

An Israeli army spokesperson said she was looking into the reports.
Israeli forces regularly detain Palestinian fisherman off the coast of Gaza, often claiming they went beyond the designated fishing zone.

According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Israeli forces detained 71 fishermen and confiscated 22 fishing boats throughout 2015.

The center said that Israeli naval forces also opened fire on Palestinian fishermen at least 139 times over the course of the year, wounding 24 and damaging 16 fishing boats.

"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.