Israel closes Gaza’s fishing zone

dpa Gaza/Tel Aviv Israel has closed a fishing zone in the Gaza Strip after continued rocket fire. Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Te...

dpa Gaza/Tel Aviv Israel has closed a fishing zone in the Gaza Strip after continued rocket fire.Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said on Monday morning the measure would be in place until further notice.The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said a total of five rockets were fired overnight.The first exploded in the Gaza Strip, the army said. Afterwards, COGAT announced the restrictions on the fishing zone.Palestinian militants then fired four more rockets. Warning sirens sounded in the border town of Sderot.Two of the projectiles were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome defence system, the IDF said, while a third landed in the Gaza Strip.The fourth fell in open land, according to media reports.There were no initial reports of injuries or damage.In the morning, COGAT announced the complete closure of the fishing zone.Since Friday evening, a total of 40 projectiles have been fired from Palestinian Territories towards Israel.The attacks followed confrontations between Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem last week.Hamas, which has de facto control of the Gaza Strip, announced a ceasefire with Israel in August 2020, after mediation by Qatar. But even after that there were repeated violations.Israel tightened a blockade of Gaza in 2007 that has since been joined by Egypt. Both countries say security considerations justify the measure.Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union.