The Israeli navy fired warning shots at a flotilla of around 40 that set sail from a Gaza Strip port on Saturday in the latest attempt to breach the Naval blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt on the Hamas-run Palestinian Gaza area, Times Of Israel reported .
This was part of “March of Return” protests which have been going on for months.
Lifting the blockade on the Strip is a provision outlined in a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas currently under negotiation.
The Israeli and Egyptian blockade on Gaza began in 2007, when Hamas took control of the strip from the Palestinian Authority, implemented in order to prevent military equipment and artillery from reaching terror elements like the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, i24 News reported
“the naval blockade is a necessary and legal security measure that has been recognized repeatedly by the world and the UN as important to the security of the state and its maritime borders that protect Israeli civilians in the face of terror and smuggling of weapons,” the IDF has explained in a statement
Below is video footage submitted by The Jewish Voice’s media sources in Israel.