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GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli authorities Friday released six Palestinian fishermen who were detained on Thursday off the coast of the central Gaza Strip.

Zakariya Bakir, head of the fishermen's union, told Ma'an that Israeli authorities released the detainees at the Erez crossing between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip.

The fishermen were identified by Bakir as Muhammad Abed al-Muti al-Habil, Ahmad Muhammad al-Arayshi, Abed al-Muti Ibrahim al-Habil, Fayiz Abu Ful, Ali Ayman al-Habil, and Abed al-Muti Rami al-Habil.
Bakir added that the fishermen’s boats were also confiscated.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an she would look into reports.

On Thursday, Israeli forces detained several fisherman off the coast of Gaza, initially reported as five detained, when Israeli forces opened live fire on them.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an at the time that Israeli forces opened live fire on the boats after they continued to pass the designated fishing zone off the coast of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces then proceeded to stop the boats and detain the fishermen.

Israeli military incursions inside the besieged Gaza Strip and near the “buffer zone" which lies on both land and sea sides of Gaza, have long been a near-daily occurrence.

Palestinians who work near the “buffer zone” between the Palestinian enclave and Israel often come under fire from military forces, as the Israeli military has not made clear the precise area of the designated zone.

The Israeli army regularly open fires on Palestinian fishermen and farmers along the border areas, despite a ceasefire agreement that ended the 2014 war.

The practice has in effect destroyed much of the agricultural and fishing sectors of the blockaded coastal enclave.

Israeli forces also regularly detain Palestinian fisherman off the coast of Gaza working within the fishing zone, generally for alleged security reasons.

According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), 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," PCHR said.