GAZA (Reuters) – Israel arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen off the Mediterranean coast of Gaza on Saturday, Palestinian and Israeli sources mentioned.

The Israeli army mentioned it apprehended 4 suspects after two Palestinian vessels strayed from the designated fishing zone within the northern Gaza Strip, “violating safety restrictions”. The navy fired on the boats after they failed to reply to directions to halt, it added.

The secretary of the Gaza fishermen’s syndicate, Nizar Ayyash, informed Reuters there have been no less than three Israeli assaults on Gaza fishermen on Saturday — all inside the permitted fishing space.

In one of many incidents, he mentioned, Israeli forces fired rubber bullets at a ship, wounding two of the 4 individuals aboard who had been later hospitalised. In one other, they seized a small boat after detaining the 2 fishermen on board, he added.

“We now have recorded a number of violations in opposition to fishermen inside the permitted fishing zone previously weeks,” mentioned Ayyash.

Fishing is without doubt one of the greatest industries within the coastal enclave, residence to some 2.3 million Palestinians.

Israel maintains a land, air and sea blockade of Gaza, which is ruled by the Islamist militant group Hamas, citing safety considerations. Boats aren’t allowed to stray past a hard and fast restrict to the north in the direction of Israel and Egypt retains comparable limitations to the south-west.