Israeli navy detains two Gaza fishermen

Israeli naval forces have detained two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the blockaded Gaza Strip and confiscated their boat. Mahfouth Kabariti, the head of an association of fishermen in Gaza, said the men were arrested late on Thursday in waters off the northwestern coast of the territory, the Ma'an news agency reported on Friday. Palestinian boats are permitted to fish up to six nautical miles from the Gaza coast according to the terms of Israel's naval blockade on the impoverished enclave. The fishing area was extended from three nautical miles on November 21, 2012 in the truce deal that ended an eight-day Israeli military assault on the Gaza Strip. Gaza has been blockaded since June 2007, which is a situation that has caused a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty. The apartheid regime of Israel denies about 1.7 million people in Gaza their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, jobs that pay proper wages, and adequate healthcare and education. UN Humanitarian Coordinator James W. Rawley said on April 10 that a new round of Israeli restrictions on the Gaza Strip is impacting food supplies and would have "serious" effects if continued. "Israel has announced a series of heightened restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from the Gaza Strip, including closures of the Kerem Shalom crossing," he said in a statement. Rawley added, "These measures are resulting in the depletion of stocks of essential supplies, including basic foodstuffs and cooking gas, and undermine the livelihoods and rights of many vulnerable Gazan families. "If these restrictions continue, the effect upon the Gaza population will be serious."