Navy arrests 7 Gaza fishermen for violating nautical restrictions

Israel’s navy arrested seven Palestinian fishermen off northern Gaza on Wednesday, officials on both sides said, with the army claiming their boats had strayed beyond the permitted fishing limit.

“The Israeli navy arrested seven fishermen from one family in Sudaniya in the sea off northern Gaza,” the head of the Gaza fishermen’s syndicate, Nizar Ayash, told AFP.

The army confirmed the arrest of seven fishermen on two boats, saying they had strayed beyond the six-nautical mile fishing limit imposed as part of Israel’s naval blockade.

“This morning, two vessels sailed beyond the permitted fishing zone,” a spokeswoman told AFP, saying troops had fired warning shots to halt them that were ignored.

Troops then fired rubber bullets towards the boats, wounding one of the fishermen “very lightly,” she said. All seven were taken for questioning.

Under the terms of an August 26 truce agreement which ended a deadly 50-day war between Israel and Hamas militants, Gaza fishermen are permitted to trawl the waters up to six nautical miles off the shore.

Ayash, however, accused Israel of constantly violating the terms of the agreement.

“Since signing the truce, the Israeli army has violated [the agreement] eight times, arresting fishermen and destroying a giant fishing boat, in addition to firing at fishermen on a daily basis,” he said.

Meanwhile, an army spokeswoman said troops apprehended a Gazan in the central Gaza Strip as they suspect he was attempting to cross the border into Israel. He was being questioned.