Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian farmer south east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, the Ministry of Health said. The 20-year-old farmer sustained moderate injuries in the leg and the hand after being shot near the Sofa crossing, located between the al-Fakhari and Rafah areas, the spokesperson for Gaza's Ministry of Health, Ashraf al-Qirda, told Ma'an. An Israeli army spokesperson had no immediate information on the incident. Palestinian fishermen and farmers whose work brings them near the border areas of the besieged coastal enclave frequently come under fire from Israeli forces. Israeli soldiers on Dec. 13 shot and injured a Palestinian farmer east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. A "security buffer zone" is imposed by Israel on both land and seaside borders of the Gaza Strip, and the Israeli army often reports that Israeli forces open fire in such cases due to a "threat to security." Israeli forces have in the past been criticized for interfering with Palestinians who have not breached the buffer zone, with such interference posing a major threat to the livelihood and well-being of Palestinian workers.
