Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Israeli forces shoot, injure Palestinian on beach in northern Gaza

Published today (updated) 29/10/2014 19:05
 
(MaanImages/File)
 
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian man on the beach in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, medical sources said.

Gaza's health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra told Ma'an that a 27-year-old man was seriously injured after being shot in the thigh in Beit Lahiya.

The man, identified only by his initials "S.Gh." was taken to Kamal Udwan hospital.

An Israeli army spokesman confirmed the incident, saying that two Palestinians had "approached the security fence" in the northern Gaza Strip.

He said Israeli forces called on them to leave, but when they "failed to comply," soldiers fired warning shots in the air, then at "their lower extremities, identifying a hit."

The Aug. 26 ceasefire agreed upon by Gaza militants and Israeli forces stipulated an end to hostilities, with Israel pledging to ease its crippling siege on the Strip and expand tight fishing regulations.

The sides also agreed to hold further indirect meetings in Egypt to iron out further details of the truce. The meetings were postponed to November in the wake of a deadly attack on security forces in Egypt.

Since the ceasefire was signed, Israeli forces have fired at several fishermen who they say have ventured beyond the newly-imposed limit of six nautical miles.

There have also been widespread reports of the Israeli navy opening fire at fishermen within those limits.

Before Operation Protective Edge -- which left over 2,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, dead -- fishermen were only allowed to fish three miles from shore.