Security forces last month arrested four Israeli citizens suspected of selling weapons to Palestinians, a gag order lifted on Friday revealed.

The Shin Bet security service and the Galilee District Police arrested three residents of the northern village of Kafr Makr and a resident of Acre for allegedly carrying out the crime.

The official complaint was lodged against the suspects on Friday, ahead of the indictment.

Earlier this week, the Shin Bet announced that it had arrested two Israeli Bedouin suspected of passing strategic information to the al-Qaida terror network, a charge the men's relatives are denying.

The two Bedouin, residents of the southern village of Rahat, allegedly transferred information about Israel Defense Forces military bases and other strategic sites through the Internet, the Shin Bet said.

The suspects - Taher Abu Sakut, 21, and Omar Abu Sakut, 20 - were charged on Wednesday with membership in a terror organization, of aiding an enemy and of transferring information to an enemy with the intent to harm state security.

It was apparently the first time that Israeli security forces have arrested any citizens for alleged cooperation with al-Qaida.