RAFAH (PIC) — Israeli navy boats on Friday morning fired at Palestinian fishing boats opposite the Rafah coast according to Palestinian local sources.
Locals reported that navy craft fired at Palestinian fishermen opposite the Sultan neighborhood to the west of Rafah and at Palestinian farmers to the east of the city.
No casualties were reported but the occupation restrictions on Palestinian fishermen as well as frequent firing at them is affecting their livelihood.
The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem reported last month that IOF actions against the Palestinian fishermen did not stop at banning them from fishing off the Gaza coast and firing at them but that in “many cases in which Navy crews stopped fisherman in the open sea ordered them under gunpoint to undress jump into the cold water in their underwear and swim to the Israeli vessel. The crew then took them to Ashdod Port for questioning. Following many hours and sometime a full day at the port they were returned to their boat. In some cases Israel returned the fisherman to the Gaza Strip via Erez Crossing.”
