GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories — Israel said Monday it is closing the fishing zone off the already blockaded Gaza Strip, preventing trawlers from going out to sea, after repeated rocket attacks.
اضافة اعلان
The move comes after the
Israeli army said five rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel overnight, two of which were intercepted by its air defenses.
The fishing zone off the strip will “be completely closed until further notice,” said COGAT, the Israeli military body that administers civilian affairs in Palestinian territories, including the occupied
West Bank.
The measure was “due to the continuation of the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip towards the State of Israel during the night,” it said in a statement.
It did not say who was responsible, but said it would hold Hamas, which controls the strip, “accountable for all that is done in and from the Gaza Strip towards Israel.”
Hamas “will bear the consequences for the violence committed against the citizens” of Israel, it said.
Gaza fishing union head Zakaria Bakr told AFP on Monday the Israeli measure constituted “collective punishment for the 50,000 people who make a living from the fishing industry in Gaza.”
Hamas itself denounced Israel’s move as “a flagrant violation” of fishermen’s rights and a form of “continued aggression” against Gazans.
“Will not accept restrictive measures and pressure on the Palestinians,” a spokesman said in a statement.
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