Israel expands Gaza fishing zone, allows more imports

TEL AVIV: Israel said on Monday it had expanded the fishing zone off Gaza and would allow additional imports into the blockaded Palestinian territory following “recent security calm.”

The Jewish state regularly restricts fishing and imports for Gazans in response to unrest, including during an 11-day conflict in May that saw Israel launch hundreds of air strikes on the enclave and its rulers Hamas fire thousands of rockets at Israel.

“In light of the recent security calm... the fishing zone in the Gaza Strip will be extended from 9 to 12 nautical miles,” said a statement from the Israeli military branch responsible for civil affairs in the Palestinian territories (COGAT).

The statement added that imports of medical equipment, fishing supples, certain industrial materials and textiles will also be allowed into Gaza.

Gazan agricultural products and textiles have been cleared for export, COGAT said, noting the new measures are contingent on “the continued preservation of security stability.”

There has been sporadic unrest since a ceasefire ended the May conflict, with incendiary balloons launched from Gaza and Israeli reprisal air strikes, but no casualties have been reported.

Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza since 2007, the year Hamas took power in the strip.

Israel’s Security Cabinet on Sunday froze nearly $200 million in tax transfers to the Palestinians that it said represented the amount of money the Palestinians transferred to the families of alleged atackers last year.

Under interim peace agreements, Israel collects hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes for the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority.

The tax transfers are a key source of funding for the cash-strapped Palestinians.

Israel has long objected to the Palestinian “martyrs fund,” which provides stipends to thousands of families that have had relatives killed, wounded or imprisoned in the conflict with Israel.

The Palestinians say the payments are a type of welfare system meant to assist families affected by the conflict.

But Israel says such payments serve as rewards and incentives for violence.

In its decision, the Security Cabinet approved a recommendation by Defense Minister Benny Gantz to freeze some 597 million shekels - or roughly $180 million - for what it called “indirect support of terrorism” in 2020.

It said the funds will be frozen on a monthly basis out of payments that Israel transfers to the Palestinians.

For the Palestinians, the families of atackers are widely seen as victims of a half century of Israeli occupation.