Israeli naval forces detained four Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip on Thursday, marking another breach of the fragile ceasefire agreement in place since October 10.

According to Zakaria Bakr, head of the Fishermen Committees in Gaza, Israeli gunboats intercepted several Palestinian fishing vessels operating within Gaza’s permitted maritime zone. The navy arrested four fishermen—Hamza Abdulwahab Katoo’, Abdel Latif Zaki Taroush, Rushdi Abdullah Al-Attar, and Arafat Malik Taroush—and seized their boats.

Bakr said fellow fishermen later managed to recover one of the confiscated boats, but Israeli forces refused to allow the second vessel to return.

For years, Palestinian fishermen have been frequent targets of Israeli naval harassment, including shootings, arrests, and boat confiscations, severely undermining the livelihoods of thousands of families dependent on Gaza’s fishing sector. Rights groups say Israeli forces often enforce arbitrary restrictions at sea, even when fishermen remain within the designated fishing zone.

Despite the current ceasefire, Israeli naval forces have intensified their actions in recent weeks. More than 20 fishermen have been arrested since the cessation of hostilities began, according to local monitoring groups. Fishermen also report routine firing at boats, forced stripping, and long detentions without charge.

Gaza’s Ministry of Agriculture has repeatedly warned that continued Israeli violations threaten one of the enclave’s most fragile industries, already crippled by years of blockade and military aggression.

The latest arrests have drawn condemnation from Palestinian civil society groups, who urge international mediators to pressure Israel to abide by the ceasefire terms and to stop targeting civilians whose only means of survival lies in the sea. (ILKHA)