Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean SeaIsrael news photo: Flash 90

Israel has restored the fishing zone off the coast of Gaza to six nautical miles, after reducing it to three in March after terrorists fired rockets into the Jewish state, the army said on Tuesday.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon have approved the extension of the fishing zone in the Gaza Strip from three to six nautical miles," an army statement said, according to AFP. 

"The fishing zone was restricted in the first place because of rockets fired on southern Israel on March 21," it added.

The restriction was imposed after terrorists fired two rockets at southern Israel on March 21, one of which caused damage to the yard of a house in the town of Sderot, during a three-day visit by President Barack Obama.

A number of rockets have since hit southern Israel from Gaza, several of them claimed by hardline Salafist group the Mujahedeen Shura Council (MSC).

Since March, there has been an escalation of rocket fire on southern Israel after more than three months of complete quiet following November’s escalation of violent which ended with the Egyptian-brokered truce deal.

Israel's most direct retaliation was an April air strike against a member of the MSC who was reportedly involved in a rocket attack launched from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula that month.