Gaza, Sep 23 (IANS) The Israeli naval forces late Monday has arrested four Palestinian fishermen in the central Gaza Strip while they were on their fishing boat, an official said.

Israeli naval gunboats surrounded and arrested the four fishermen in the sea after opening intensive fire on their fishing boats, Xinhua quoted Chairman of Gaza fishermen association Nizar Ayyash as saying.

Since a ceasefire deal, brokered by Egypt in Aug 26, the Israeli naval forces have already arrested ten fishermen from the Gaza Strip, Ayyash said.

A long-term truce in Gaza was agreed with Israel last month. The ceasefire came into effect after the two sides agreed to an unlimited and immediate ceasefire.

Israeli naval forces usually free detained fishermen after questioning them. Israel says it does so to fight smuggling of weapons to the enclave through the sea.

At the end of a 50-day Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip which started July 8, Israel allowed fishermen in the coastal enclave to go for fishing.

During the large-scale offensive on the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health ministry officials said 2,140 Palestinians were killed and 11,100 injured, two-thirds of them civilians.