Israeli naval forces detain 14 Palestinian fishermen, seize boats

Israeli naval forces early Tuesday detained 14 Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip near Beit Lahiya and seized their boats, local officials said.

Palestinian security sources told Ma’an that Amjad Zayed, Sami al-Sultan and two other fishermen who were not identified were detained by naval forces after their fishing vessel was confiscated.

Meanwhile, speaker of the syndicate of Gaza fishermen, Nizar Ayyash, told Ma'an that Israeli naval boats had escorted fishermen in their boats to the Israeli port of Ashdod, north of Gaza.

Ayyash said ten had been detained, identifying the detainees as Atif Ahid Bakir and his son Muhib Atif Bakir, Muhammad Ahid Bakir, Mahmoud Zuheir al-Ashwah, Yusri Miqdad, Khalil Bahjat Bakir, Bahjat Khalil Bakir, Shadi Jihad Bakir, Hasan Zaki Bakir and Muhammad Jamal Bakir.

It was not clear if the 14 fishermen were detained in separate incidents.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that naval forces on Tuesday opened fire into the air after calling on “two vessels that deviated from the designated fishing zone” to halt.

After the vessels “refused to halt,” they were “escorted” to a nearby port, where the spokesperson said the forces would decide whether or not to confiscate the vessels.

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