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GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli naval forces assaulted three Palestinian fishermen on Tuesday, medics said.

Israel's navy detained Khader al-Saedi, Mohammad Noman, and Hassan Murad while fishing off Gaza's coast.

They were assaulted while in custody and transferred to Shifa medical complex for treatment.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said the fishermen deviated from the designated fishing zone and were detained by navy forces.

In May, the Israeli government re-extended Gaza's fishing zone to six miles, after reducing it in March following a rocket attack from the coastal territory.

The zone had been extended to six miles as part of an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire that ended an eight-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in November.

In the Oslo Accords, Israel agreed to a 20-nautical-mile fishing zone off Gaza's coast but it imposed a 3-mile limit for several years, opening fire at fishermen who strayed further.

Israel has controlled Gaza waters since its occupation of the area in 1967, and has kept several warships stationed off the coast since 2008.