Egyptian naval fire kills Palestinian fisherman — Gaza official

Health ministry says gunfire from patrol near Strip’s maritime border with Egypt also leaves one wounded

By AFP 5 November 2015, 9:26 pm

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Illustrative: Palestinian fishermen, as seen in boats at the port of Gaza City, May 13, 2015 (Aaed Tayeh/Flash90)

GAZA CITY — An Egyptian naval patrol shot and killed a Palestinian fisherman and wounded another Thursday off the coast near the border between Gaza and Egypt, a spokesman for the Gaza health ministry spokesman in Gaza said.

The victim was identified as Faris Meqdad, 18, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.

Egyptian forces have previously opened fire on Gazans they accused of crossing the maritime border between Egypt and the Palestinian enclave.

Jihadist fighters have been battling Egyptian forces in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, which borders Gaza. Egypt rarely opens its border with Gaza, and the strip also faces an Israeli blockade.

Since the ouster of its Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, Egypt says it has destroyed hundreds of tunnels used to transport militants, merchandise and arms between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula.

Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, lost a major ally in Morsi and has had strained relations with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew him while army chief.

In September, Hamas accused Egypt of further besieging the Gaza Strip by flooding the border area to the south.