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Illustrative. File. Published by Maan News
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GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen Wednesday morning, and also carried out a limited incursion into Palestinian lands Wednesday morning in the besieged Gaza Strip, according to locals.

Four Israeli bulldozers raided dozens of meters into the town of al-Fakhari east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza on Wednesday morning and proceeded to level lands near the border fence, as drones flew overhead, witnesses told Ma'am.

Witnesses added that no shooting was reported.

Meanwhile, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of al-Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, according to witnesses who said no one was injured in the incident.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma'an they were not aware of either case.

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” often come under fire from Israeli military forces, as the authorities have not made clear the precise area of the designated zone.

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

The Israeli army also regularly detains and opens fire on unarmed Palestinian fishermen, shepherds, and farmers along the border areas if they approach the buffer zone.

Gazan fishermen, whose numbers are estimated to be around 4,000, have suffered from the near decade-long siege of the Gaza Strip, which limits their incursions to just six nautical miles into the sea in accordance with the ceasefire agreement signed with Palestinian factions in 2014.

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