Israeli navy hijacks Lebanese ship carrying aid to Gaza

Al-Jazeera TV reporter Salam Khadr aboard the Lebanese fraternity ship on Thursday reported that Israeli naval troops stormed the ship, which is carrying humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip, and physically attacked the passengers.

The reporter said, before losing contact with her, that three Israeli soldiers climbed on board the ship and pointed their weapons at the passengers, noting that the break-in took place in the Gaza territorial waters.

The same reporter had confirmed earlier that two Israeli navy boats approached very closely the Lebanese ship and threatened to shell it along with all the passengers aboard if they tried to reach the Gaza port.

The Lebanese ship had left the Cypriot port of Larnaca coming from Lebanon boarding eight activists including bishop Hilarion Kapuche.

New TV reports said that the Israeli warships commandeered the Lebanese ship to the Israeli Ashdod port to interrogate the passengers.