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Israel to re-extend Gaza fishing zone to 6 miles

Arab-Israel Relations Materials 21 May 2013 14:03 (UTC +04:00)
Israel to re-extend Gaza fishing zone to 6 miles
Israel to re-extend Gaza fishing zone to 6 miles

The Israeli government has decided to re-extend Gaza's fishing zone to 6 miles, after reducing it in March following a rocket attack from the coastal territory, a statement from Israel's army said Tuesday Maan reported .

The decision was announced after a meeting between Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu and defense minister Moshe Yaalon, who then informed the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah.

Senior Egyptian and international officials were also informed about the decision, the statement added.

In March, Israel's army announced that the fishing zone for Palestinians in Gaza would be reduced from six to three miles following a rocket attack.

The zone had been extended to 11 km as part of an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire that ended an eight-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in November, in which 166 Palestinians and six Israelis were killed.

In the Oslo Accords, Israel agreed to a 20-nautical-mile fishing zone off Gaza's coast but it has imposed a 3-mile limit for several years, opening fire at fishermen who strayed further.

Israel has controlled Gaza waters since its occupation of the area in 1967, and has kept several warships stationed off the coast since 2008.

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