Passengers of seized Lebanese aid vessel arrive in Beirut

Feb 6, 2009, 7:52 GMT

Beirut - The passengers of a Lebanese ship intercepted by Israel whilst carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip arrived in Beirut Friday, after Israeli forces released all on board and handed them over to UN Interim Forces in Southern Lebanon (UNIFIL).

All 18 passengers and crew members, including journalists, were freed at 2:00 am (0000 GMT) after being held for several hours following the seizure of the ship on Thursday by the Israeli navy.

Israeli authorities said the Togolese-flagged 'Tali' dubbed the 'Brotherhood Ship' was intercepted on Thursday as it tried to enter Gaza's territorial waters.

The passengers were nine Lebanese, including journalists, and a Palestinian resident, returned to Beirut after they were handed over to UNIFIL the Lebanese-Israeli border crossing of Naqoura at dawn.

Former Greek-Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem Hillarion Capucci, 86, who was on board the ship, was taken to the Golan Heights where he crossed into Syria.

Three others were to be flown out to London early Friday, Israeli officials have said.

It was not immediately clear where the four other people detained were headed.

Salam Khodr, a correspondent for the Arabic al-Jazeera channel, who was among the passengers, said 'they (Israelis) opened fire on the ship while we were in Egyptian waters.'

'Israeli soldiers climbed on board the ship. They kicked us and beat us,' Khodr said. She added that the Israeli army confiscated their videotapes.

On Thursday an Israeli military spokesman denied that the navy had used force in intercepting the vessel.

'If there is any humanitarian aid on the boat, it will be transferred to the Gaza Strip via the legitimate crossings,' he said

The Arab League has described the seizure of the vessel 'an act of piracy,' and protested the incident to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon.