EGYPT has returned the bodies of two Palestinian fishermen killed by its navy on Friday.

Palestine’s fishing trade union said it would hold a three-day general strike to protest against the killing of its members.

Three fishermen from Gaza were fishing near the Gaza-Egypt maritime frontier when they were gunned down. The third is receiving treatment in Egypt while the two slain have been returned to the Gaza Strip.

Hamas, which governs the Strip, has called on Egypt to investigate the incident.

Fishers’ union leader Nezar Ayyash said the Egyptian navy is well aware that Palestinians fish close to the maritime boundary, with fishing restricted to just a few miles off the Gaza coast by Israel.

“Even if they happen to exceed the limit, shooting and killing them is unjustifiable,” he said. “They could have stopped them, their boat’s engine is weak and can’t run faster than a naval boat.”