Israeli soldiers on Thursday climbed into the Lebanese aid ship "Taly" and beat up the crew, while Israeli war ships opened fire on the ship near Gaza territorial waters, the Doha-based al-Jazeera TV reported.

An al-Jazeera reporter on board, crying in panic, said "they are directing their guns to our heads and beating us" before the television signal broke off.

The Israeli navy fired three times on the Togo-flagged ship, according to the report.

So far, the Israeli army has neither confirmed nor denied the report.

On Thursday morning, the ship, with the nick name "Brotherhood" in solidarity with the Gaza people, received threats from Israeli warships surrounding it, the al-Jazeera reported earlier.

The ship is now three miles into Egyptian territorial water and24 miles away from Gaza.

Israeli warplanes have been flying over the ship since Wednesday night, two reporters for local New TV on board said.

The Lebanese ship sailed Wednesday towards Gaza carrying 60 tons of aid and eight rights activists after a stopover in Cyprus.

The trip organizer Hani Suleiman said Cypriot authorities had cleared up the way for the trip after searching the vessel to ensure transparency.

The ship left northern Lebanese port of Tripoli Monday night, carrying medicine and food, as well as eight activists and journalists including former Greek Catholic archbishop of Jerusalem Hilarion Capucci, who left Jerusalem in the 1970s after serving in an Israeli jail.

A similar aid boat to challenge the Israeli blockade on Gaza was turned back in January and forced by the Israelis into south Lebanese port of Tyre.