The Israeli occupation navy on Sunday morning kidnapped two fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip and confiscated their boat.

A local committee documenting Israel’s violations against Gaza fishermen said in a press release that Israeli gunboats encircled and opened fire at a fishing boat off the northern shores of Gaza rounded up two fishermen aboard it and towed it to an unknown place.

The seized boat belongs to Adnan Abu Rayyala and the two detained fishermen are his sons Sha’ban 33 and Mohamed 20 according to the committee.

Israeli gunboats are around Gaza fishermen every day harassing them shooting at them damaging or seizing 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. Over the past 18 years however Israel has reduced the fishing area gradually to a limit of three nautical miles as part of its blockade on Gaza.

But fishermen and human rights groups say that since the 2008-09 war on Gaza the Israeli army regularly enforces a limit even closer to the shore.

GAZA (PIC)– The Israeli occupation navy on Saturday evening kidnapped two Palestinian fishermen as they were working off the coast of Beit Lahiya north of the Gaza Strip.

Chief of the fishermen Nizar Ayyash told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that Israeli naval forces kidnapped Oranes and Mohamed Sultan after intercepting their rowboat off the shore of Beit Lahiya.

Ayyash added that the two men were very close to the shore in their small fishing boat when they were rounded up.

According to a local committee documenting Israel’s violations against Gaza fishermen the Israeli navy on Friday evening intensified their presence off the coast of Gaza City.

Gunboats also opened machinegun fire that day at fishing boats working within the permitted fishing zone and caused damage to one of them.