extract from OCHA report 25-31 March, 2009
Israeli patrol boats opened fire on five
separate occasions targeting Palestinian
fishing boats west of Rafah and Beit
Lahia, forcing the boats to return to the
shore. In one incident, four Palestinian
fishermen were detained. In recent weeks,
the Israeli military has reduced the fishing
range allowed to Palestinian fishermen
from six nautical miles to three,
constraining the ability of fisherman to
catch sardines, which are currently in
season and mainly prevalent in deeper
waters.
