Damaged Palestinian aid ship arrives in Lebanon – Summary
A damaged international aid ship operated by the Free Gaza Movement arrived at the southern Lebanese port of Tyre following a collision with an Israeli naval vessel in the early hours of Tuesday while bound for the Gaza Strip.
A Lebanese Navy vessel escorted the ship into port, witnesses said. Dozens people gathered to greet the boat and show their solidarity with the Gaza people.
The "Dignity", carrying aid and activists from the Free Gaza Movement, had sailed from Cyprus late Monday. At around 5 am it collided with an Israeli naval vessel some 130 kilometres off Gaza.
A statement released by the Free Gaza Movement – which has sent a number of ships carrying aid and international activists to Gaza this year to campaign against the siege of that territory – said the Dignity had been "attacked" by the Israeli Navy – rammed by a gunboat causing heavy damage.
A subsequent statement by an Israeli military spokesman said the Israeli vessel had approached the Dignity in an effort to make it turn back, as Gaza had been designated a closed combat zone, but an abrupt manoeuvre by the aid vessel caused a collision. There were no reported casualties in the incident.
The Dignity had been carrying three tons of medical supplies, as well as three doctors from Britain, Germany and Cyprus who had volunteered to help out in Gaza.