The "Free Gaza" ship, "Dignity", rammed by an Israeli patrol vessel on waters near Gaza early Tuesday, arrived at Tyre port in south Lebanon in the afternoon, al-Jazeera TV reported.

The ship reaching the Lebanese water was escorted with a Lebanese navy boat and boats of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

UNIFIL maritime forces are on surveillance mission in Lebanese territorial water according to UN resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman gave orders to the Lebanese navy to escort the boat loaded with supplies to Gaza Strip, after it was rammed by Israeli gunboats.

The Israeli gunboats caused damaged to the ship which sailed from Cyprus, and forced it back from approaching Gaza territorial water, but the ship resumed the trip towards south Lebanon.

Sixteen people including rights activists, doctors and Journalists, along with a crew from al-Jazeera TV boarded the ship at Larnaca port in Cyprus late afternoon Monday, from where they made "Symbolic" attempt to cross the border into Gaza.

An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman appeared on al-Jazeera saying that its navy prevented the ship because it is full of Journalists and it is "an act of provocation and propaganda."

"This is a propaganda message which we refuse," the spokesman said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2008)