Israel reopens Gaza fishing zone closed over rocket fire
Israel shut civilian access to the fishing zone after several nights of rocket attacks.
Israel reopened a fishing zone off the coast of the Gaza Strip, days after closing it in response to repeated rocket fire blamed on Hamas.
A statement Thursday from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which is Israel's military liaison to the Palestinians, said the zone would be reopened to its normal 15 nautical miles.
“Following security consultation, it was decided today to reopen the fishing zone,” COGAT said. “The return of this civilian policy toward the Gaza Strip is conditional upon continued calm and security stability.”
Fishing is a major source of revenue for the impoverished Palestinian enclave. Israel, which maintains a blockade on Hamas-run Gaza, has over the years placed limits on how far Gazan fishermen can go to fish, as a way of pressuring the militant group.
