GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — In a dangerous development June 12, Israel announced a full naval closure on the Gaza Strip until further notice, denying Palestinian fishermen access to the sea. Israel said it took the measure in response to the continued firing of incendiary balloons at Israeli settlements by protesters in the ongoing "right of return" marches.

Media outlets reported that the balloons caused about seven fires June 12 in settlements in the "Gaza envelope" — the area of Israel that wraps around the Gaza Strip. A day earlier, Israeli authorities had decided to cut the fishing zone off the coast of the Gaza Strip to 6 nautical miles. Israel had already reduced this zone June 5 to 10 nautical miles (18.5 kilometers) instead of 15 (27.8 kilometers).

Of note, the Gaza Strip fishing zone was expanded to a maximum of 15 miles at the beginning of April, as part of the first phase of the Egyptian-brokered truce reached at the end of March between Israel and Hamas. This stage was supposed to be followed by reconstruction and large infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip financed by Arab and European entities.

The closing surprised Gaza fishermen, who were looking forward to an expansion to 20 miles, as outlined in the Oslo Accord. The fishing season in the Gaza Strip started in mid-April and ends in June. Fishermen rely on this time to make ends meet. Another fishing season begins in mid-September and ends in November.