GAZA, (PIC)-- Israeli navy gunboats opened intensive fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip at dawn Thursday forcing them to retreat to shore.

Eyewitnesses told a PIC reporter that the gunboats fired in the air and at the Palestinian fishing boats off Sudaniya coast.

They said that the fishermen, who were trying to fish within the six nautical miles perimeter fixed by the Israeli occupation, were terrorized by the attack and abandoned work.

The agreement between Israel and Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza under Egyptian patronage last November stipulated among other articles allowing fishermen to fish within six miles limit off Gaza coasts but the Israeli navy continues to obstruct fishermen in clear violation of the agreement.

More than 3,500 Palestinians work as fishermen in Gaza using around one thousand fishing boats and are the sole breadwinners of 50,000 people.