The Israeli navy has boarded a French yacht carrying pro-Palestinian activists who were trying to breach Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The military said the navy took control of the Dignity al-Karama on Tuesday, and was taking it to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

There were no immediate reports of any violence.

The yacht is the only vessel remaining from a flotilla that pro-Palestinian activists had hoped to launch from Greece last month. It left Greek waters Sunday with 16 people on board.

The military said earlier it notified the ship that any supplies on board could be transferred legally to Gaza through an Israeli port and existing land crossings.

The activists say the naval blockade of Gaza is an illegal act of punishment against the more than one million Palestinian residents of the impoverished territory.

Israeli officials have vowed to maintain the blockade to prevent arms from reaching Hamas militants who run Gaza. Israel also says it is meeting the humanitarian needs of Gazans by allowing daily deliveries of aid, fuel and consumer goods across its land border with the territory.