Israel on Tuesday announced that it would be expanding the permitted Gaza sailing zone for the three-month spring fishing season.

Ordinarily, Israel allows Gazan fishermen to operate up to six nautical miles (seven miles) from the coast. Beginning on Tuesday, Palestinian sailors in the southern Gaza Strip will be allowed to travel up to nine nautical miles (10.4 miles) from the shore, the army said.

There will be no change for fishermen in the northern Gaza Strip.

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Though it does not necessarily occur every spring and fall, Israel has regularly expanded the permitted sailing zone during the peak fishing season in recent years.

The announcement came amid increased tensions in the coastal enclave, as Palestinians there have held daily demonstrations along the border. These have often deteriorated to violence, with rioters throwing rocks and firebombs at Israeli troops on the other side of the security fence and the soldiers responding with tear gas and, at times, live fire.

The expansion was scheduled to remain in place until June, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The move was approved by military liaison to the Palestinians Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, Israel Navy commander Maj. Gen. Eli Sharvit, and the head of the IDF’s Southern Command Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the army said.

Israeli officials from the Coordinator of the Government’s Activities in the Territories liaison unit, along with naval officials, met with representatives from the Gaza fishing industry and Palestinian Agricultural Ministry ahead of time in order to discuss the plans and ensure that Gazan fishermen do not stray from the approved zone.

Fishing serves as a significant source of income for thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has one of the world’s highest unemployment rates.

The military noted that the expansion of the zone for the fall season had increased the fishing yields and lowered the price of seafood in the Gaza Strip.

“This step is part of the civil policy of preventing a humanitarian deterioration in the Gaza Strip and part of the policy of differentiating between terror and the rest of the population,” the army said.

The military said this expansion would only remain in place if Gaza fishermen “respected the agreements.”

Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, Gazan fishermen were allowed to operate up to 20 nautical miles (23 miles) from the coast. Israel scaled that back considerably once the Hamas terrorist group came to power in 2006.

Israel and Egypt maintain a strict naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israel says this is to prevent Hamas and other terrorist group from smuggling weapons into the coastal enclave, as has been attempted many times over the years.

The announcement came less than a week after Israeli security officials revealed that they had thwarted a planned naval attack off the Gaza coast by the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group.

The plan was to use three fishing boats to lure in a navy ship, fire a missile at it, and then seize the wounded and slain soldiers, according to a joint statement by the Shin Bet security service and IDF. </s> Israel has announced further reductions of the Gaza Strip's fishing zone, stating it was in response to the weekly protests near the fence east of the coastal enclave.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman's office said in a statement on Saturday that the fishing zone will be reduced from nine nautical miles to six nautical miles.

Lieberman cited Friday's "riots" at the fence dividing Gaza and Israel as contributing to his decision, in addition to the midweek beach protests in which fishing boats and protesters gathered at the northwest end of the Gaza Strip.

Three Palestinians, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed in Friday's protest, bringing the total death toll to at least 183 Palestinians since the demonstrations began on March 30.

Fishing zone restrictions

Under the Oslo Accords, fishermen are supposed to be allowed to operate up to 20 nautical miles off the coast.

However, Israel has restricted Palestinian fishing boats to a much smaller area since it imposed an economic blockade on Gaza in 2007.

Palestinian officials have accused Israeli forces of opening fire at fishermen off the Gaza coast based on claims they have violated the set fishing zone.

Earlier on Saturday, Israeli naval forces also detained two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of northern Gaza City.

Around 50,000 Gazans earn their living from fishing, according to Palestinian estimates.

After Israel's devastating military offensive on Gaza in the summer of 2014, in which some 2,150 Palestinians were killed, Israel began allowing Palestinian fishermen to fish up to six nautical miles off the Gaza coast, up from the previous three nautical miles.

Last May, Israeli authorities increased the fishing area to nine nautical miles. </s> Israel's defense minister on Saturday ordered a reduction of the fishing zone along the Gaza Strip's coastline in retaliation for ongoing border protests. The fishing zone will be reduced to six nautical miles (11 kilometers) from nine nautical miles, a statement by Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's office said.

According to the fishermen's union, roughly 50,000 Gazans earn their living from fishing. Restrictions on the extent of fishing zones along the Gaza shoreline form part of Israel's economic blockade of the Strip, which has been in place for more than a decade. After Israel's devastating military onslaught against Hamas-run Gaza in mid-2014 in which some 2,150 Palestinians were killed, Israel began allowing Palestinian fishermen to fish up to six nautical miles off the Gaza coast, as opposed to three nautical miles previously. In May, Israeli authorities increased the fishing area for Gazan fishermen to nine nautical miles. The Oslo interim peace accords in the early 1990s set a 20-nautical-mile limit, which was never implemented. Since then the zone has ranged in size between three and six nautical miles.

A senior Palestinian official on Saturday slammed Israel's decision to reduce the fishing area off the Gaza Strip coast as "unjust and unfair."

"Although Israel expanded the fishing area in August to nine nautical miles, the Israeli naval forces continued its harassment against Gazan fishermen, which badly affected the amount of fish they were catching," said Nizar Ayyash, head of Gaza's fishermen union, as reported by Chinese news agency, Xinhua.

Palestinians have been protesting at least weekly along the Gaza border since March 30 in what they call the "Great March of Return." Protesters are demanding an end to the blockade and for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to homes their families fled in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation. Friday's protests were bigger than those in recent weeks. At least 198 Palestinians have been killed since the protests began, while one Israeli soldier has been shot dead over the same period. Israel was criticized by a U.N. human rights body for its killing of protesters in Gaza and treatment of Palestinians, declaring it a war crime under the Statute of Rome. The high casualty toll triggered a diplomatic backlash against Israel and new charges of excessive use of force against unarmed protesters.

Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been under a crippling Israeli and Egyptian blockade that has gutted its economy and deprived its roughly 2 million inhabitants of many vital commodities, including food, fuel and medicine. In the long-embargoed enclave, the humanitarian situation has gotten worse each day.

Dozens of Palestinians demonstrated against high unemployment rates in the Gaza Strip yesterday, which has been reeling under a crippling Israeli blockade. Protesters called on local authorities and the Ramallah-based Ministry of Labor to intervene to create jobs for jobless Palestinians in the seaside enclave.

"Today, poor families in Gaza are coming out to raise their voices in the face of the Palestinian Authority [PA] and the international community," Talal Abu Zarifa, a member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), which organized the rally, told Anadolu Agency (AA).

"We tell the PA that you have to correct your policy and put an end to the division that has turned the Gaza Strip into a disaster zone in conjunction with the [Israeli] blockade." Abu Zarifa went on to decry the "continued silence of the international community" towards the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Last month, the World Bank warned that the Gaza economy was in "free fall," calling on Israel and the international community to take immediate actions to avoid "immediate collapse" in the Palestinian territory. According to the bank, unemployment is now over 50 percent and over 70 percent among Gaza's youth. </s> The offshore area where Gazans are allowed to fish has been reduced by Tel Aviv to six nautical miles, in retaliation to the violence during weekly border protests, amid heightening tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

Tightening Israel’s economic blockade of the Gaza Strip, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the reduction of the Palestinian offshore fishing zone from nine nautical miles to six. The drastic measure was taken in response to the ongoing Great March of Return riots and to sea protests, in which Palestinian boats sail up to the maritime boundary between Israel and the coastal Palestinian enclave.

“The defense minister’s decision was made following the violent rioting over the weekend near the [security] fence and attempts to harm IDF forces and launch confrontational flotillas at the maritime border,” said a statement issued by the ministry.

Furthermore, following consultations with senior IDF and Shin Bet officers, Lieberman instructed them to be prepared to take “additional steps if the violent incidents continue.” The move, which was also discussed with the coordinator of government activities in the territories (COGAT), may be followed by more restrictions placed on Gaza's only commercial crossing with Israel, the Kerem Shalom.

In violation of the Oslo Accords, which allowed Palestinian fishermen to operate up to 20 nautical miles off the coast, Israel had previously imposed restrictions on Palestinian fishing rights following the economic blockade on Gaza in 2007. Around 50,000 Gazans earn their living from fishing. Palestinians have repeatedly accused Israel of firing at fishermen off the Gaza coast which Tel Aviv justified as a violation of the set fishing zone. Earlier on Saturday, Israeli naval forces detained two Gazan fishermen off the coast of northern Gaza City.

Tel Aviv considers both the ongoing Great March of Return protests and Palestinian flotillas as “provocations” and has repeatedly blamed Hamas for inflaming tensions.

So far, 198 Palestinians have been killed and over 21,000 injured in the weekly clashes. Despite the growing toll, Israel continues to use sniper fire, rubber bullets and tear gas to suppress the Great March of Return protests, which began on March 30. On Friday, three people, including a 12-year-old, were killed by Israeli troops as some 20,000 Palestinians rallied at the border fence.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! </s> In this file photo taken in July last year, Gazan fishermen are seen near an Israeli ship near the strip’s Mediterranean coast (Photo courtesy of Quds Press)

OCCUPATION JERUSALEM — Authorities on Saturday ordered a reduction of the fishing zone along the Gaza Strip's coastline, in retaliation for confrontations along the border fence with the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza enclave.

The fishing zone will be reduced to 11 kilometres from 16 kilometres, a statement by Avigdor Lieberman's office said.

Restrictions on the extent of fishing zones along the Gaza shoreline form part of Israel's economic blockade of the Strip, which has been in place for more than a decade.

Under the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s, fishermen are supposed to be allowed to operate up to 33 kilometres off the coast.

Lieberman decided to reduce the fishing zone after violent incidents on Friday along the border between Israel and Gaza, the statement said.

Three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire during protests along the border fence on Friday, while 376 were wounded, including 126 with bullet wounds, the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said.

Palestinians have been protesting at least weekly along the Gaza border since March 30 in what they call the "Great March of Return".

Protesters are demanding an end to the blockade and for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to homes their families fled in the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation.

Friday’s protests were bigger than those in recent weeks.

At least 198 Palestinians have been killed since the protests began. </s> JERUSALEM, Oct 6 — Israel’s defence minister today ordered a reduction of the fishing zone along the Gaza Strip’s coastline, in retaliation for clashes along the border fence with the Palestinian enclave.

The fishing zone will be reduced to six nautical miles (11 kilometres) from nine nautical miles, a statement by Avigdor Lieberman’s office said.

Restrictions on the extent of fishing zones along the Gaza shoreline form part of Israel’s economic blockade of the Strip, which has been in place for more than a decade.

Under the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s, fishermen are supposed to be allowed to operate up to 20 nautical miles off the coast.

Lieberman decided to reduce the fishing zone after violent incidents on Friday along the border between Israel and Gaza, the defence ministry statement said.

Three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire during protests along the border fence yesterday, while 376 were wounded, including 126 with bullet wounds, Gaza’s health ministry said.

The Israeli army said around 20,000 Palestinians had demonstrated, throwing grenades, explosive devices and stones towards soldiers posted behind the border fence.

Ahead of the latest protests, Lieberman had yesterday issued a warning to Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza.

The defence minister indicated that Israel would step up its retaliation against the protests after the Jewish holiday season, which ended early this week.

“We got through the High Holy days exactly as we had planned, without an eruption ... and while exacting a high price on the rioters along the Gaza border”, he said in a tweet.

“But the holidays are now behind us. I tell the leaders of Hamas: ‘Take that into account’”, he added.

Palestinians have been protesting at least weekly along the Gaza border since March 30 in what they call the “Great March of Return”.

Protesters are demanding an end to the blockade and for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to homes their families fled in the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation.

Yesterday’s protests were bigger than those in recent weeks.

At least 198 Palestinians have been killed since the protests began, while one Israeli soldier has been shot dead over the same period. — AFP </s> Israel's defence minister has announced it will reopen the main cargo crossing with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday if the relative calm of recent days continues.

Avigdor Lieberman also said the fishing zone off Gaza's coast would once more be extended to 17km (9 nautical miles).

Israel shut the Kerem Shalom crossing for all but humanitarian deliveries five weeks ago in response to attacks by Palestinians along the border.

Rights groups said the move amounted to illegal collective punishment.

Kerem Shalom is the main lifeline for the 2 million people living in Gaza, and the territory's economy is almost entirely dependent on it.

The Israeli government closed Kerem Shalom on 9 July in retaliation for incendiary kite and balloon attacks by Palestinians and attempts to infiltrate its territory.

The arson attacks have sparked hundreds of fires in southern Israel since April, burning more than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of forest and farmland and causing hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage.

Mr Lieberman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they had agreed to use a "heavy hand" against the militant group Hamas, which dominates Gaza, to persuade it to end the attacks. But there have been several flare-ups in violence since then that have raised fears of a new war.

Last Wednesday night, militants fired more than 180 rockets and mortars into southern Israel and the Israeli military carried out more than 150 air strikes on "military and strategic" targets in Gaza. The escalation left three Palestinians dead and seven civilians in Israel injured.

A truce mediated by Egypt and the UN reportedly came into effect the following night, and there have been fewer reports of incendiary balloons and kites being launched since.

After meeting senior security officials on Tuesday, Mr Lieberman said: "It was decided that if the relative quiet along the Gaza border that began this week continues until tomorrow morning, the Kerem Shalom Crossing will reopen at 09:00 (06:00 GMT) tomorrow and the fishing zone will be extended back to 9 nautical miles from the coast."

The defence minister added that this was meant to be a sign to Palestinians that "maintaining the quiet is first and foremost in the interest of Gaza residents".

More than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the end of March - most during protests along the Gaza-Israel border at which thousands have expressed their support for the declared right of Palestinian refugees to return to their ancestral homes in what is now Israel.

One Israeli soldier has been shot dead by a Palestinian sniper during the same period.

The reopening of Kerem Shalom comes as the United Nations and Egypt attempt to broker a long-term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israel's finance minister confirmed a report that Mr Netanyahu had secretly met Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi in Egypt in May. The two men are said to have discussed the terms for a ceasefire, the easing of the blockade of Gaza, and the rebuilding of its infrastructure.

Israel and Egypt imposed a land, sea and air blockade on Gaza when Hamas reinforced its power over the territory in 2007 by ousting its rivals, a year after winning legislative elections. The two countries say the blockade is for self-defence.

In a separate development on Tuesday, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said that it might not be able to open schools for more than half a million children in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon this month because it had run out of money to pay their 22,000 teachers.

Unrwa officials said the decision by US - which has long been the agency's largest single donor - to withhold $305m (£240m) of funding this year was the main cause of the financial crisis. The Trump administration has said it will withhold funds until Unrwa makes unspecified "reforms". </s> According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, an underwater barrier which will stretch from the southern Israeli community of Zikim into the Mediterranean Sea, will serve as a blockade to ward off Hamas.

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

"This is the only obstacle of its kind in the world, which will effectively block the possibility of infiltrating into Israel via the sea, and this will further thwart Hamas' loss of strategic capabilities,” Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman was reported by the Jerusalem Post as saying.

At the time, the Israel Defense Forces succeeded in stopping the commandos, but since then Hamas has reportedly expanded their unit to over 1,500 commandos.

In light of that development, the Israeli Navy is now focused on training for underwater infiltrations and in 2015 the navy deployed a new system of underwater sensors called “Aqua Shield.”

The new sensors were placed to alert the Navy of any “suspicious underwater movement”.

The Gaza border continues to remain unstable as thousands of Palestinians have been demonstrating along the Gaza-Israel security fence since March.

Over 116 civilians have been killed and thousands have been wounded, drawing foreign censure. </s> JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the reopening of the Kerem Shalom Crossing to full capacity Wednesday morning, following three days of relative quiet.

Normally, truckloads of goods enter the Gaza Strip every day. Lieberman also extended the fishing zone off Gaza's coast back to nine nautical miles.

Israeli navy patrols keep a close eye on the area, in the past preventing terror attacks and infiltrations. The navy also prevents flotillas from breaking Israel's naval blockade of Gaza (supported under international law) and has turned back passenger boats attempting to set sail from Gaza, also breaching the blockade.

Lieberman told Gaza residents the State of Israel is the solution, not the problem. He said maintaining quiet is in their best interests. He posted a message in Arabic on the COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) Facebook page.

"I differentiate between the Hamas leadership and the regular Gaza residents," YNet news translated the post.

"That is why I've decided to reopen the Kerem Shalom Crossing and expand the fishing zone back to nine miles as a clear message to the residents of the Strip. 'Calm pays off and violence does not.' The Gaza residents have something to gain when Israeli citizens enjoy quiet and security, and something to lose when this quiet is broken," Lieberman wrote.

Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett said the decision rewards terrorism. Hamas will use the quiet as it has in the past to rebuild its terror infrastructure.

"I can't tell you much about the possibility of a ceasefire, but one thing I can tell you with 100 percent certainty is that if a ceasefire is achieved, Hamas will violate it because that's the nature of Hamas," Oren told CBN News. "Hamas is a jihadist terrorist organization that is sworn to kill us, so it is in its DNA to break that ceasefire."

Lieberman closed the crossing in early May after Hamas protesters set fire to the side facing Gaza, in part to repair the damage. Two weeks ago, he banned fuel and gas shipments because of the daily launch of incendiary devices to set fires in Israel. Some 7,500 acres of wheat fields, nature reserves and forests have been destroyed since the demonstrations began on March 30.

Hamas has turned away truckloads of goods for Gaza residents, including medical provisions, in the past. Besides that, Israeli inspectors have confiscated all kinds of weaponry, explosives materials and similar products designated for the Hamas military infrastructure.
Israel extends the area fishermen from southern Gaza are allowed to operate in from six miles offshore to nine miles offshore for three months. Restrictions remain unaffected in northern Gaza.