Israel arrests 2 Palestinian fishermen off Gaza coast

By Nour Abu Eisha

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Israeli naval forces detained two Palestinian fishermen off Gaza’s southern coast, according to a local official on Saturday.

The two fishermen were fishing off the shores of the city of Rafah south of Gaza when they were arrested aboard their boat, Nizar Ayyash, the head of the Palestinian Fishermen's Syndicate, told Anadolu Agency.

He said the fishermen did not exceed the fishing zone set by Israel.

According to Ayyash, Israeli forces also confiscated the fishermen’s boat.

There was no comment from the Israeli military on the report.

Israel allows Palestinians in the blockaded Gaza Strip to fish only at a distance of 15 nautical miles.

About 4,000 Palestinians work in the fishing sector in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture.

Palestinian fishermen often suffer from multiple Israeli violations, including attempting to sink Palestinian boats in the sea, firing at them, as well as narrowing the fishing area for long periods.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara