The Egyptian navy shot, on Wednesday, a Palestinian fisherman near Rafah city, south of the Gaza Strip.
According to Palestinian sources, an Egyptian military gunboat opened fire on several Palestinian fishing boats sailing in the common zone between Gaza and Sinai, injuring a Palestinian fisherman, Waseem Al-Zahhar. Zahhar was transferred to Abu Yousuf Al-Naggar Hospital in Rafah on the Palestinian side and was said to have critical wounds.
This is not the first time the Egyptian navy shot at Palestinian fishing boats, which sometimes stray towards Sinai due to navigational conditions. The latest incident was in September 2020, when the Palestinian Fishermen’s Syndicate announced the killing of two fishermen and injury of another one after they were shot at by the Egyptian navy.
The syndicate protested the Egyptian violations and reminded Egypt that Gaza’s government welcomed Egyptian fishermen when they broke through the Palestinian marital zone. The Palestinian Authority’s government in the West Bank and the Hamas government in Gaza held the Egyptian authorities fully responsible.
