Palestinian officials welcomed the decision, which they said applied to about 60 percent of Gaza’s Mediterranean coastline. The Israeli military enforces a naval blockade on the Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza, which is controlled by the militant group Hamas. Israel says the blockade is necessary to prevent weapons smuggling.

Under the Oslo peace accords, the fishing zone was supposed to extend to 20 nautical miles, but it has shrunk over the years as Israel has imposed greater restrictions, citing security concerns. In the years before 2006, fishermen could go out 10 to 12 nautical miles, but from 2006 until 2012 the zone was limited to three nautical miles.

Gaza’s farmers are restricted from farming in a buffer zone along the border with Israel, and the fishing restrictions have added to the challenges facing Gaza’s people, about 80 percent of whom receive some form of food aid. Egypt, Gaza’s neighbor to the south, also tightly restricts movement to and from Gaza across its border. The Palestinians are just trying to take back their own homeland, which has been stolen by the Israelis. Selfishness doesn't lead to prosperity either for individuals or nations.

Ted Rudow III, MA