GAZA CITY: A Palestinian fisherman was shot dead by the Israeli navy off the blockaded coast of the Gaza Strip on Friday, medics in the enclave said.
"Fisherman Mohammed Bakr died by a bullet by the Israeli navy today in the sea north of the Gaza Strip," said Adham Abu Selmiya, who heads the Palestinian territory’s medical services.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said the fisherman was in restricted waters "heading towards Israel."
"Troops ordered him to turn back. As he refused to obey they fired warning shots and then shots towards his boat," she said.
Israeli navy vessels enforcing a naval blockade of the Palestinian territory regularly fire at Palestinian fishermen to prevent them from venturing more than a few kilometers (miles) from shore.
