JERUSALEM, Dec 30 (Reuters) - An Israeli naval ship clashed on Tuesday with a small boat carrying international activists with aid destined for Gaza, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Israel declared the coastal territory a closed military zone after it launched air attacks on Hamas targets on Saturday. More than 345 Palestinians have been killed in the attacks.
There were no reported casualties from the incident involving the small cabin cruiser "Dignity" that sailed from Cyprus late on Monday. One passenger said nobody was hurt.
Free Gaza Movement told Reuters their boat, carrying 3 1/2 tonnes of medical aid with 16 people aboard, was rammed and shot at while in international waters about 70-80 miles off Gaza by Israeli naval vessel. There were Europeans and Americans on board.
Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry, denied there had been any shooting although he said the two ships made "physical contact".
Palmor said the boat failed to respond to Israeli naval radio contact, and that an Israeli vessel "clashed with the ship." He said no one had been hurt and that the Israeli ship escorted the aid boat back to Cypriot territorial waters.
Israel said the Free Gaza Movement boat would not be permitted to dock in the Gaza Strip.
A passenger on the Free Gaza Movement boat said it was now attempting to reach Lebanon after the incident.
"The boat was hit on its left side. There is a problem with the fuel and we are trying to head to Sidon," said Katia Christodoulou, a photographer for the Cyprus News Agency.
Free Gaza Movement said their boat was safe, but had sustained damage.
(Writing by Allyn Fisher-Ilan; Additional reporting by Michele Kambas in Nicosia; Editing by Katie Nguyen)