Mourners carry the body of Abdullah Zeidan, a 33-year-old fisherman, during his funeral in Gaza City on January 13, 2018.
A fisherman from the Gaza Strip was shot dead by the Egyptian army overnight for unclear reasons, Palestinian officials said Saturday, calling for an immediate investigation into the incident. (AFP Photo)

GAZA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian fisherman, who was shot Friday night by Egyptian navy forces in southern Gaza Strip, died in a hospital in Rafah town in Gaza Saturday morning, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.

Abdullah Zeidan, 32, was shot and critically wounded by the Egyptian soldiers as he was fishing near the southern border town of Rafah between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

Egyptian officials have not yet made immediate comment on the incident.

The Fishermen Union in the coastal enclave has announced a suspension of fishing work in the region to protest over the shooting of Zeidan, who was also a father of five.

Around 3,000 fishermen are currently working in the strip under tight restrictions imposed by the Israeli government, including diminishing the fishing area to six miles and constant arrest of fishermen, according to the union.

Gaza fishermen have complained about the limited fishing zone as it is not big enough to meet the demand of the 2 million population in the coastal strip.