Israel targets Palestinian fishermen off Gaza coast

Israeli gunboats Sunday opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza coast in a breach of the truce reached late last month.

According to the Palestinian fishermen syndicate, Israeli gunboats have been opening fire daily at fishing boats, MENA reported.

A long-term truce in Gaza was agreed with Israel Aug 26. The ceasefire mediated by Egypt came into effect after the two sides agreed to an unlimited and immediate ceasefire.

Last week, the Israeli navy arrested four Palestinian fishermen in the northern sea off Gaza Strip.

Israeli naval forces usually free detained fishermen after questioning them. Israel says it does so to fight smuggling of weapons to the enclave through the sea.

At the end of a 50-day Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip which started July 8, Israel allowed fishermen in the coastal enclave to go for fishing.

Also Sunday, Israeli private units abducted a young man and strongly beat another citizen in the West Bank, MENA reported citing Palestinian security sources.

During the large-scale air, sea and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health ministry officials said 2,140 Palestinians were killed and 11,100 injured, two-thirds of them civilians.