Israeli navy forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen and their boats off the northern coast of the beleaguered Gaza Strip on Friday morning.

Israeli gunboats fired machine guns at the fishing boats sailing within a few nautical miles off the northwestern shores of Gaza.

No casualties were reported during the attack which forced the fishermen to return ashore.

The Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats while sailing offshore northern Gaza on Saturday morning.

Gaza fishermen’s union affirmed that Israeli gunboats opened fire at the fishermen’s boats sailing in the Sudaniya area off the northern Gaza Strip forcing them to return ashore.

Fishing is one of the biggest industries in the Gaza Strip a coastal enclave of almost 2 million inhabitants.

However Israeli navy and army routinely open fire on Palestinian fishermen sailing within the six-nautical-mile zone as well as farmers in farmlands along the border.