'Israeli' forces detain, kidnap three Palestinian fishermen off Gaza coast

• 'Israeli' forces arrested three Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza on Wednesday.
• Gunboats fired machine guns at the fishing vessel just meters from Gaza City’s port.

On Wednesday morning, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) intercepted a fishing boat in the open sea off the Gaza Strip, arresting three Palestinian fishermen.

Zakaria Bakr, an official with the fishermen’s committee, told reporters that 'Israeli' warships opened fire with machine guns on the vessel.

“The attack took place only a few meters from the fishermen’s port west of Gaza City,” Bakr explained. He added that gunboats surrounded the boat and detained three fishermen before taking them to an unknown location.

Bakr also disclosed the names of the arrested individuals: Khaled Yousef Shamla, Hassan Jamal Al-Naman, and Mahmoud Saeed Al-Saidi.

On Tuesday, Palestinian sources in the southern Gaza Strip said that Israeli Occupation naval vessels opened fire off the coast of Khan Younis, directing heavy machine gun rounds toward the open sea. The incident occurred near an area routinely used by Gaza’s fishermen.

Witnesses from the coastal city of Khan Younis confirmed that bursts of gunfire could be heard from shore as Israeli Occupation gunboats patrolled the waters.

Residents noted that such incidents have become frequent, describing them as part of a broader effort by Israeli Occupation Forces to tighten control over Palestinian fishing activity.

Local communities say these repeated attacks are among the many restrictions hindering fishermen’s ability to work safely in Gaza’s territorial waters.