GAZA, (The Palestine Information Centre)The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) kidnaped on Wednesday morning two Palestinian fishermen after attacking their boat off the shores of northern Gaza.
According to the fishermen’s syndicate, Israeli naval forces chased a small fishing boat off the shore of the al-Waha area in northern Gaza and opened fire at it before rounding up two fishermen who were aboard.
The fishermen were identified as Awad as-Sultan, 25, and Ghaith Abu Awn, 26. They were working within two nautical miles when Israeli gunboats attacked them, the syndicate said.
The IOF also kidnaped on Tuesday morning two fishermen off the shore of the same area.
Since the beginning of August, the Israeli naval forces have carried out about 21 shooting attacks on fishing boats, during which they kidnaped at least six fishermen and confiscated two boats.
Israeli naval forces and their gunboats are around Gaza fishermen almost every day, harassing them, shooting at them, damaging their boats, and making arrests. Sometimes fishermen are injured or killed during gunfire attacks.
Under the 1993 Oslo accords, Palestinian fishermen are permitted to fish up to 20 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza, but since then Israel has kept reducing the fishing area gradually to a limit between six to three nautical miles as part of its blockade on Gaza.
Fishermen and human rights groups also say that since the 2008-09 war in Gaza, the Israeli army has been regularly enforcing a limit even closer to the shores.
