Palestinians bury fishermen killed by Israel

08/03/2015| IslamWeb

Hundreds of Palestinians on Saturday buried a fisherman killed by Israeli gunfire off the coast of the Gaza Strip.

Tawfiq Abu Reyala, 34, died Saturday of wounds sustained when Israeli naval forces opened fire on fishing boats off the Gaza coast.

Two other fishermen were also detained by Israeli naval forces, according to Nizar Ayyash, the head of the Gaza fishermen's union.

Ayyash said the Israeli army claimed the boats had gone beyond the six nautical miles from the coast allowed by the Israeli navy.

Palestinian group Hamas described the killing as a "new Israeli violation of a cease-fire" with Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip.

There was no comment from the Israeli army.

The Israeli navy routinely opens fire on Palestinian fishing boats on the pretext that they are fishing in unauthorized waters.

Last summer, Israel allowed Palestinian fishermen to ply their trade up to six nautical miles off the Gaza coast – as opposed to three miles previously.

A cease-fire reached in August between Israel and Palestinian factions ended 51 days of relentless Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which killed over 2,160 Palestinians, mostly civilians.

Ever since Hamas won 2006 Palestinian legislative polls, the self-proclaimed Jewish state has imposed a tight land and sea blockade on the coastal strip.

PHOTO CAPTION

Palestinian fishermen have a small talk on their boat while waiting to sail out on the waters of the Mediterranean Sea at the fisherman's port in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015

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