Israel Violates Ceasefire

Israeli forces opened fire at fishermen off the coast of the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday in violation of the ceasefire agreement reached with Palestinian factions a week ago.

Palestinian fishermen said that Israeli warships used machine guns to fire at their boats while they were sailing near Rafah within the agreed-upon six-nautical-mile limit.
 

Saber Baker, a local fisherman said," We thought, that for once the Israeli side will keep their word and agreements, but what is happening on the ground is something else. We suffered the attacks of the Israeli warships over the past years, and now its happening again. The world should step up against these attacks and violations, so we can fish safely."

An Israeli army spokeswoman said that the Palestinian fishermen "deviated from the designated fishing zone," and that navy soldiers fired warning shots into the air. Fishermen denied the Israeli accusation and said that they were careful to fish within the designated area.

A ceasefire agreement reached on August 26 stipulated that Israel would ease its siege on Palestine and immediately expand the fishing zone off Gaza's coast, allowing fishermen to sail as far as six nautical miles from shore. Afterward, the permitted fishing arae would gradually increase even farther.