BBC

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Every night off Gaza beach you can see the lights of fishing boats rising and falling in the swell.

But they are defying an Israeli ban on all Palestinian fishing, and Rami al-Habeel knows how dangerous that can be.

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The fishermen though have no doubt that this is an example of what a UN human rights observer recently described as "collective punishment" in the territory.

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The navy now seems to let this pass, provided the vessels stay within about four kilometres of the shore.

But there is always the danger that the gunboats will move in.

And Mr Habeel says that is what happened last week when he and his crewmates were fishing off the town of Dier Ballah.

He says a gunboat steamed up from the south.

According to Mr Habeel, it did not issue any verbal warning, but opened fire first at the cables holding the nets - cutting them adrift.

Then he says the Israelis circled the unarmed fishermen spraying their craft with machine gun fire from no more than 20m away.

Mr Habeel says that one of the bullets hit Hani al-Najaar - ripping open the side of his head.

"I saw him killed," Mr Habeel says. "I couldn't bear it. God bless him."

Mr Najaar leaves two children.

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IDF response? Pure denial:

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"We did not identify in any situation any of our warning shots hitting a boat - at all," said a military spokeswoman. "So we are not aware of any fisherman being hit."

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Of course... full of shit:

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But later, as the trawler lays beached for repairs in Gaza City harbour, well over 100 bullet holes are clearly visible.

Both sides of the hull had been raked with fire, and the controls in the wheelhouse had been shot out. You could see where hydraulic steering cables had had to be replaced.

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any of our warning shots hitting a boat - at all

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