GAZA, September 4, 2016 (WAFA) – Israeli forces Sunday opened its heavy machine gunfire at Palestinian homes situated along the borderline area to the east of al-Maghazi Refugee Camp, in central Gaza Strip, sources said.

Israeli army units stationed at watchtowers along the borders with Gaza opened gunfire at Palestinian homes and agricultural land in the said area, however, no injuries were reported.

In the meantime, Israeli military tanks stationed at military watchtowers along the borders with Israel shelled agricultural land to the north of the Strip with two missiles. No injuries were reported.

In a fact sheet about Israeli attacks on border areas and their consequences, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) said following so-called ‘disengagement’ from the Gaza Strip in September 2005, Israel unilaterally and illegally established a so-called “buffer zone”, an area prohibited to Palestinians along the land and sea borders of the Gaza Strip.

The precise area designated by Israel as a “buffer zone” is not clear and this Israeli policy is typically enforced with live fire. The establishment of the ‘buffer zone’ is illegal under both Israeli and international law.

It added that preventing Palestinians from accessing their lands and fishing areas violates numerous provisions of international human rights law, including the right to work, the right to an adequate standard of living, and the right to the highest attainable standard of health.

Highlighting the consequences of Israeli attacks on farmers, PCHR said attacks against civilians take place anywhere up to approximately 1.5 Km inside the border fence (approximately 17% of the total territory of the Gaza Strip).

It said approximately 27,000 dunums (35% of the Gaza Strip’s agricultural land) can only be accessed under high personal risk, as Israeli attacks may result in injury or death of civilians and that 95% of the restricted area is arable land.

T.R.