Israel expands Gaza fishing zone after demonstrations
Along with several other humanitarian gestures, Israel announced it would expand the offshore fishing zone by 15 nautical miles.
Israel on Wednesday said it would expand the fishing zone off the Gaza Strip coast following a wave of Palestinian protests against Israel's restrictions on the impoverished enclave.
The Office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli defense body that handles civilian affairs in the Palestinian Territories, announced the expansion along with a series of other goodwill gestures on Wednesday.
"It has been decided to expand the fishing zone in the Gaza Strip to 15 nautical miles, as well as to completely open the Kerem Shalom crossing for the passage of equipment and goods," said COGAT.
Fishing is a major source of revenue for the impoverished Palestinian enclave. Israel, which maintains a blockade on Hamas-run Gaza, has over the years placed limits on how far Gazan fishermen can go to fish, as a way of pressuring the militant group.
