Israeli naval boats fire on Gaza fishermen, injuring two, as army suppresses West Bank protests

The Israeli military opened fire on fishermen off the coast of Gaza on Friday and repressed marches denouncing settlement expansion in the northern West Bank.

According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, Israeli boats patrolling the Mediterranean Sea targeted the fishermen's boats off the shore of the town of Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip, while they were operating within the distance permitted by Israeli authorities.

Two fishermen were injured, and the boat was seriously damaged.

The men were rushed to the Indonesian Hospital in the  east of Beit Lahia, where medics described their injuries as moderate.

Israel has often targeted fishermen's boats off Gaza, where it has imposed a suffocating blockade since 2007. It has prevented fishermen from carrying out their work with live fire and water cannons and by tearing fishing nets and damaging engines.

A number of fishermen have been killed or injured as a result.

Peaceful protesters attacked

In the occupied West Bank, several Palestinians, including children, were injured on Friday as Israeli forces suppressed a peaceful weekly demonstration against settlement expansion in the town of Kafr Qaddoum, east of Qalqilya

Israeli forces als dispersed another march in the town of Beit Dajan, east of Nablus, injuring more protesters

According to Mourad Shtewi, the coordinator of the Beit Dajan march, the Israeli forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas at the participants.

The US State Department in February called on Israel to halt settlement expansion, although Washington also said it opposes a recent International Criminal Court (ICC) announcement to launch a probe into alleged Israeli war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay connected