KHAN YOUNIS, January 31, 2017 (WAFA) – Israeli navy boats chased Gaza fishermen out of sea and forced them to return to shore, local sources said on Tuesday.

They said the navy chased the Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza coast pushing them back to shore before catching any fish. No one was hurt.

Even though signed agreements between the Palestinians and Israel allow fishermen to go 12 nautical miles inside the Mediterranean Sea, Israel would not allow them to go further than three nautical miles, which the fishermen say is not enough to catch fish.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural land in the town of al-Fukhary, east to the city of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip, said local sources.

Soldiers stationed at army watch towers along the Gaza border regularly shoot at fields near the border fence to keep Gaza farmers and local residents more than 300 meters from the borders, which Israel has unilaterally imposed as a buffer zone.

Residents say the border area is a rich land for agriculture yet they are unable to reach it because Israel opens fire at anyone who goes there.

K.T./M.K.