Three Gazan fishermen killed in suspected Israeli attack off Khan Yunis

    On Sunday, reports quoted local sources as saying that Israeli navy and forces had opened fire at Palestinian fishermen sailing off Gaza City and at herders to the east of Khan Yunis. The Palestinian Information Center, quoting local sources, also reported that the Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen in their boats off the shore of al-Sudaniya area in the northwest of Gaza City on Sunday morning. Head of the Gaza fishermen's syndicate asserted that three fishermen were killed in a projectile attack, the center said, adding that their bodies have arrived at Naser Hospital in Khan Yunis, without giving further details. The Gaza Interior Ministry says it has started investigating the death of three fishermen following an explosion in their boat off the coast of Khan Yunis. This comes as the Israeli forces have also fired at herders from watchtowers and military vehicles in the east of Khan Yunis, forcing them to leave the area, according to sources.   Israel maintains a heavy naval presence off the coast of the impoverished Palestinian enclave, severely affecting the livelihood of some 4,000 fishermen and at least 1,500 more people involved in the fishing industry. Over the past few years, the Israeli forces have carried out more than a hundred attacks on Palestinian boats, arresting fishermen and confiscating boats. The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli land, air and sea blockade since June 2007, which has caused a decline in the standard of living as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty. Israel has also launched three major wars against the enclave since 2008, killing thousands of Gazans and shattering the impoverished territory’s already poor infrastructure. Press TV’s website