Israel temporarily enlarges Gaza fishing zone

JERUSALEM, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Israel said on Tuesday that it approved a temporary enlargement of the Gaza fishing zone from six to nine miles ahead of the upcoming fishing season.

The relief will be effective for the next three months, starting from Tuesday, the Coordinator of the Government Activities in the Territories, Maj. Gen Yoav Mordechai said in a statement.

As part of the preparation for the move, meetings were held between representatives of the Israeli Navy, the Gaza Fishermen's Union, the Palestinian Coordination and Liaison Office, and the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, in order to present the security measures that will be taken to prevent deviation of fishermen from the allowed fishing zone, according to the statement.

"The enlargement is conditioned by the fishermen respecting the agreements. Any deviation of the designated fishing zone will be dealt with by the Israeli Navy," Mordechai said.

"This is a way of the civil policy to prevent humanitarian escalation in the Gaza Strip," he said.

The fishing sector is estimated as the second most important sector in the Palestinian enclave, a major food source, and an economic engine for the people of Gaza.

According to official Israeli figures, an enlargement of the fishing zone during October-November 2017 resulted in a decrease in fish prices and increased the produce of fish. Some 62 tons of fish were exported in 2017. In addition, it is estimated that the enlargement of the fishing zone created employment to hundreds of people in Gaza.

The Gaza Strip, home to about 2 million people, has been under Israeli and Egyptian blockade since 2007. Under the blockade, Israel strictly limits exit and entering of people as well as goods, inflicting a humanitarian crisis on the territory. Enditem