Israel arrests 4 Palestinian fishermen off Gaza coast

By Nour Abu Eisha
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Israeli naval forces detained four Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip, according to a local official.

Nizar Ayyash, head of the Palestinian Fishermen's Syndicate in Gaza, said Israeli forces opened fire on two Palestinian boats and arrested the fishermen on board.

No injuries were reported.

According to Ayyash, the four fishermen were taken into custody for investigation and the two boast were taken to the Port of Ashdod, south of Tel Aviv.

He said the fishermen did not exceed the fishing area specified by Israel for Palestinians off the Gaza coast.

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

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

Palestinian fishermen complain of 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.

*Ikram Imane Kouachi in Ankara contributed to this report