Israeli Gunfire Wounds Gaza Fisherman

Israel's navy opened fire at fishing boats off the coast of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, wounding two Palestinian fishermen, the Gaza health ministry said.

The men, said to be in a moderate condition in hospital, were aboard two boats sailing off the strip's northern coast when an Israeli patrol boat fired at them early in the morning, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP.

The navy "identified several vessels deviating from the designated fishing zone in the northern Gaza Strip," an Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP.

"Following calls on the suspects to halt, they fired warning shots in the air. The suspects continued to advance and the (navy) fired at one of the vessels. The suspects were identified returning to shore," she said.

Under the terms of Israel's eight-year blockade of the Palestinian territory, Gaza's fishermen have the right to trawl the waters up to six nautical miles off the coast.

But fishermen have said the Israeli navy opens fire before they reach that limit.

Around 4,000 fishermen work in Gaza, but more than half live below the poverty line.