LONDON: An Israeli drone strike injured three Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip on Monday morning, according to Palestinian media reports.
The drone fired on the fishermen near the Gaza port as they were preparing to return to shore, the Palestinian Authority’s WAFA news agency reported, citing local sources.
The three men sustained injuries of varying severity.
The attack comes amid a wider toll on Gaza’s fishing sector, which has been battered since Israel launched its military campaign in the enclave on Oct. 7, 2023, after the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel.
A joint report by Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights and the Palestinian NGOs Network said at least 202 people working in Gaza’s fishing industry have been killed since the war began, including 50 who died at sea.
More than 300 others have been wounded, including 20 during fishing missions offshore, it added.
The war has also inflicted extensive damage on ports, boats, equipment stores and fishing nets.
Restrictions on materials such as fiberglass and spare parts have made it almost impossible or prohibitively expensive to repair larger boats, forcing some fishermen to rely on small craft and makeshift materials.
Before the war, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said the fishing industry provided income for about 6,000 people in Gaza, including 4,200 registered fishermen. In total, the sector supported almost 110,000 people.
