Israeli navy blows up Palestinian fishing boat

The Israeli navy blew up a small Palestinian fishing vessel off the Gaza Strip today, security sources said.

An Israeli naval patrol spotted a small vessel in an area Israel has declared off-limits to Palestinian vessels, the Army said. The Israeli sailors called on the fishermen to surrender, took them captive and then blew up the boat “as a precautionary measure".

Palestinian naval officials said the Israelis first opened fire on the fishermen, before destroying the boat in a blast heard by residents of Gaza City.

The Army said the boat was close to the Jewish settlement of Dugit and noted that there had been attempts in the past to infiltrate the settlement by sea.

The fishermen have been taken in for interrogation.