An Israeli Navy patrol on Monday morning opened fire at at several suspicious vessels that were sailing outside the permissible fishing areas off the coast of the Gaza Strip. The vessels were later identified as fishing boats. In the past, Gaza Arab terrorists have used such boats to smuggle weapons and manpower into Gaza.
As a result of the shots, one of the vessels caught fire, with Israeli Navy ships helping to douse the flames. There were no injuries, and the vessels retreated to the permissible sailing zone.