Monday, August 10, 2009

Israeli navy opens fire at Gazan fishermen

Israeli Air Force shells an area in Rafah

Monday August 10, 2009 10:01 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies
The Israeli Air force shelled the “Tunnels area” in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, while the Israeli Navy shelled areas across the Gaza Coast in what the Navy described as retaliation to homemade shells fired from Gaza.

File - Image news.gov.kw
File - Image news.gov.kw

The Israeli army stated that Palestinian fighters fired one homemade shell and two mortars.

Meanwhile, Israeli sources reported Monday that the army shelled a tunnel in Rafah, and claimed that the tunnel is used by gunmen to smuggle munitions into Gaza.

The sources added that the shell and mortars were the first’ attack’ against adjacent Israeli areas since July 16.

Also, one mortar shell was fired Monday morning at an area in the Western Negev causing no injuries.

A spokesperson of the Israeli Navy stated that navy boats fired ‘warning’ shots at Palestinian fishermen, and claimed that they entered a ‘restricted area’.

On Sunday evening, the Israeli Navy shelled Palestinian fishing boats north west of Gaza; no injuries were reported in both attacks.

Also on Sunday, opposition leader in Israel, Tzipi Livni of the Kadima party, called on the army to retaliate and shell Gaza.

Furthermore, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the National Resistance Brigades, the armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), claimed responsibility for firing mortars at the Erez Crossing.