Israeli naval forces have shot and injured a local fisherman during a patrol of the Gaza Strip’s coastline, Palestinian medical sources have said.

The 22-year-old victim came under attack on Saturday while sailing, the Palestinian Ma’an news agency reported.

Muawiya Hassanein, the director of ambulance and emergency services in Gaza, said his colleagues had transferred the victim to the medical care facility.

Fishing remains a staple source of livelihood for the 1.5 million Gazans, who have been under an Israeli blockade since mid-June 2007.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Food Program (WFP) warned on Thursday that Tel Aviv had been tightening restrictions on fishing and farming by the locals for the past 10 years.

“This regime has had a devastating impact on the physical security and livelihoods of nearly 180,000 people."

(Press TV)