Israel eases Gaza fishing restrictions after truce with Hamas

Israel said on Tuesday it had eased fishing restrictions off the blockaded Gaza Strip after a ceasefire with Hamas ended a deadly escalation earlier this month.

Israel extended the fishing limit to up to 15 nautical miles, according to COGAT, the Defense Ministry unit that oversees such regulations.

The move restores the fishing zone to the limits set in April ahead of Israel’s general election. Gaza fishing union official, Zakaria Bakr, told AFP on Tuesday morning it had yet to be informed of any changes.

The 15-nautical-mile limit is the largest allowed in years by Israel, but human rights activists say that it still falls short of the 20 nautical miles agreed under the Oslo accords of the 1990s.