Israeli naval forces open fire at fishermen in northern Gaza Strip

Israeli naval forces opened fire towards Palestinian fishermen in the northern besieged Gaza Strip on Sunday morning.

Witnesses told Ma’an that Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza Strip, forcing the fishermen to flee to the shore for safety.

No injuries were reported during the incident.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an the army was not aware of such an inicident occurring in Gaza.

The Israeli army regularly detains and opens fire on unarmed Palestinian fishermen, shepherds, and farmers along the border areas if they approach the so-called “buffer zone” — on the Gaza side of the Israeli-Gaza border — 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.