Israeli soldiers stormed Thursday a Lebanese ship carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, Lebanese radio reports and organizers said.
According to the reports, the Israeli soldiers boarded the "Brotherhood Ship" and beat up its crew. The reports also said Israeli warships had opened fire on the ship after it entered Palestinian territorial waters, reported dpa.
Organizer Maan Bashour told Deustche Presse-Agentur dpa, that contact was lost with the ship after the Israeli soldiers stormed the vessel off the Gaza coast.
"I hold the Israelis responsible for the safety of the people on board the ship," he said.
On Wednesday, Israeli gunboats fired at the ship 20 miles off the coast of Gaza, but the crew and passengers on board decided to continue their trip despite the threats.
The ship is carrying around 50 tons of medical supplies, food, clothing and toys. It left the port city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon early on Tuesday with nine people onboard, including the former Greek-Catholic archbishop of Jerusalem, Monsignor Hilarion Capucci and journalists from Lebanon and the Doha-based al-Jazeera television network.
The trip was organized by the Palestinian National Committee Against the Siege and the US-based Free Gaza Movement.