The Israeli navy has fired several shells at a number of Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Gaza.

The Israeli navy opened fire on the fishermen near the al-Shudaniyya shore, northwest of Gaza City. No injuries were reported in the shelling, according to the International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC).

An Israeli army spokesman said the fishing boats “violated security boundaries off the coast of the Gaza Strip... out of the permitted fishing zone.”

The Israeli navy enforces a blockade on the Palestinian territory and prevents fishermen from venturing more than five kilometers from shore.

Israeli gunboats enforce this limit by patrolling the internationally recognized waters off the coast of Gaza. The fishermen complain that they get fired on before they even get close to the limit.

About 3,500 fishermen struggle to trade off Gaza's 40km Mediterranean coastline despite the blockade.

Israel imposed a crippling siege on the Gaza Strip in 2007 after the Hamas movement took full control of the territory after pushing out Fatah security forces loyal to Mahmoud Abbas, the acting Palestinian Authority chief.

MP/HGL