Gaza: The Israeli navy fired on a Palestinian boat off the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, killing a fisherman, according to Hamas officals.
An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed that one of their naval vessels shot at the fishing boat after it sailed into Israeli waters.
"We fired warning shots to turn them back, and when they did not respond, we fired at the boat," the spokeswoman said. "We are checking the claim that there was a casualty."
Palestinians defend the fact that their boats are sometimes found in Israel waters, claiming that the Gaza fishing zone, drawn up the Israelis, is too narrow to provide for the impoverished strip.
Israel however claims it needs to protect itself from arms smuggling by Hamas and seaborne Palestinian attacks.
