Israeli navy seizes defiant Lebanese blockade runner

THE Israeli navy intercepted a ship delivering 60 tons of supplies to the Gaza Strip from Lebanon yesterday in the latest bid to defy Israel’s blockade of the militant-held territory.

The Israelis fired at the ship before boarding it and beating those on board, said reporters from Arab TV stations Al-Jadeed and Al-Jazeera, who were on the Lebanese vessel.

Gunfire could be heard in the background of the telephoned reports aired by their stations.

The Israeli navy said no gunshots were fired on board while it boarded and seized the ship. The navy said it was towing the vessel, which set sail on Tuesday from Lebanon, into an Israeli port.

Lebanon’s prime minister condemned the “blatant attack” and one of the ship’s organisers called it a kidnapping. But Israel said the ship tried to slip past its navy after agreeing to sail to Egypt instead.

The Israeli military said those on board the ship, the Tali, would be handed over to Israeli immigration authorities — and the aid would be transferred to Gaza by land.

Israel has kept Gaza’s cargo crossings largely closed since the Hamas seized control of the coastal strip in June 2007.

Disagreements over opening the Gaza blockade led Hamas negotiators to leave talks in Egypt yesterday on a long-term ceasefire with Israel.