In this file photo taken in July last year, Gazan fishermen are seen near an Israeli ship near the strip’s Mediterranean coast (Photo courtesy of Quds Press)

OCCUPATION JERUSALEM — Authorities on Saturday ordered a reduction of the fishing zone along the Gaza Strip's coastline, in retaliation for confrontations along the border fence with the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza enclave. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has ordered the permissible zone for Gaza fishermen to be scaled down from nine to six nautical miles and threatened “additional steps if the violent incidents continue,” according to a statement by COGAT, the Israeli defense body that coordinates civil affairs for the Palestinian territories. Three Palestinians, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed in the Gaza Strip after the Israeli army opened fire on protesters near the fence between Israel and the blockaded Palestinian territory, the Gaza health ministry has said. The drastic measure was taken in response to the ongoing Great March of Return riots and to sea protests, in which Palestinian boats sail up to the maritime boundary between Israel and the coastal Palestinian enclave. Israel is demanding a halt to all rocket fire and incendiary balloon attacks, and wants Hamas to return the remains of two dead Israeli soldiers and free two Israeli civilians it is believed to be holding.
Defense Minister of Israel Avigdor Lieberman says that Israel will reduce the fishing zone off the Gaza Strip from 9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi) to 6 nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi) as a reaction to the weekly Gaza border protests. Three Palestinians were killed in yesterday's protest, in which over 20,000 protestors took part.