Lebanese "Brotherhood Ship" Ordeal Ends after Israel Releases Passengers
The daylong ordeal of a pirated Lebanese ship trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza ended early Friday after Israel released the crew and passengers and handed them over to UNIFIL.
All 18 passengers and crew members, including journalists, were freed at 2:00 am after being held for several hours following the seizure of the ship by the Israeli navy.
Passengers told stories about how they were beaten and handcuffed.
Israeli authorities said the Togolese-flagged "Tali" was intercepted as it tried to enter Gaza”s territorial waters.
The Tali had earlier stopped over at the nearby Mediterranean island of Cyprus where authorities inspected the cargo before continuing its voyage towards Gaza.
Nine Lebanese, including journalists, and a Palestinian resident returned to Lebanon after they were handed over to the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon at the Lebanese-Israeli border crossing of Naqoura.
Former Greek Catholic archbishop of Jerusalem Hillarion Capucci, 86, 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.
"They (Israelis) opened fire on the ship," Salam Khodr, correspondent for the pan-Arab al-Jazeera television, said of the ordeal.
"Israeli soldiers climbed on board the ship. They kicked us and beat us," Khodr said from Naqoura.
She said the Israeli navy intercepted and detained the ship and its passengers in Egyptian territorial waters.
Khodr said Ugarith Danadash, a female reporter working for Lebanon”s New TV, and Hani Suleiman, one of the organizers, were also beaten up.
She said passengers were blindfolded, handcuffed and separated. Then they were interrogated.
Khodr said the passengers” belongings and equipment were taken away before they were moved to the Israeli port of Ashdod along with the vessel.