Israeli authorities on Friday deported the 18 crewmembers of a Lebanese cargo ship intercepted by the Israeli navy on its way to challenge an Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip.

Three of them, two Indians and a Briton, were taken to the Ben Gurion international airport for flights to their countries of origin, while the rest, who come from Lebanon and Syria, were transferred via a border terminal, local daily The Jerusalem Post reported.

The Doha-based al-Jazeera TV satellite reported that 10 of the 18 people aboard the vessel arrived in southern Lebanese town of Nakoura at 3:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) on Friday after being released.

The release came hours after the activists were detained when their vessel, carrying 60 tons of humanitarian supplies for Gaza residents, was impounded by Israeli forces enforcing a sea blockade on the Palestinian enclave.

The aid would be transferred into Gaza via border crossings, the Israeli army said. The Togo-flagged aid ship remained docked at the Israeli port of Ashdod, where it was towed Thursday after being boarded by Israeli naval troops.

A senior Israeli naval officer was quoted as saying that the boat defied repeated warnings and continued its voyage to Gaza before it was stopped. During the takeover, the soldiers encountered light resistance and shots were fired in the air, added the officer.

Salam Khodr, a female reporter working for al-Jazeera, who was on board of the ship, said, "They opened fire on the ship, while Israeli soldiers climbed on board. They kicked us and beat us."

"The Israeli navy intercepted the ship and detained its passengers in Egyptian territorial water," Khodr said, adding that passengers were blindfolded, handcuffed and interrogated, "but we did not answer any of their questions."

The aid ship, which took off from northern Lebanese port of Tripoli Monday night, made a stopover in Cyprus, where authorities inspected the cargo before allowing it to continue the trip.

The Jewish state tighten its siege of the impoverished strip when Hamas forcibly took over the enclave in June 2007, amid fears that weapons might be smuggled in. Despite the security concern, no weapons were found on the Lebanese boat.

Following Israel's recent 22-day massive onslaught on Gaza, which killed some 1,400 Palestinians, wounded over 5,500 others and inflicted extensive devastation, the Palestinian strip sandwiched between Egypt and Israel is facing a worrisome humanitarian situation.

Israel has eased the transportation of Gaza-bound humanitarian resources through its border with Gaza.

Source: Xinhua