Israel detains 2 Palestinian fishermen off Gaza coast

By Mohamed Majed

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Israeli naval forces on Monday morning detained two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip near the city of Beit Lahia, according to a Palestinian labor official.

Nizar Ayyash, head of the Palestinian Fishermen's Union, told Anadolu Agency that the Israeli navy had detained the two fishermen after firing warning shots over their fishing vessel.

The detained fishermen, brothers Omar and Mohamed Sultan, had since been taken to Israel’s Port of Ashdod.

The Israeli military, meanwhile, has yet to comment on the reported detentions.

The Israeli armed forces frequently detain Gazan fishermen on the pretext that they had exceeded an Israel-imposed six-nautical-mile limit from the Gaza coastline.

According to the fisherman’s union, at least 230 Gazan fishermen have been detained by Israeli forces (most of whom were later released) since Israel's last major military onslaught on the Gaza Strip in mid-2014.

Roughly 4,000 Gazans earn their living from fishing, according to figures provided by the union.