The deliveries by sea “will be complex,” the EU, Cyprus, the U.S., Britain, the UAE and others said in a joint statement on Friday. “Our nations will continue to assess and adjust our efforts to ensure we deliver aid as effectively as possible,” they said.
The hope is that the aid can help alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, where, according to the United Nations, the population is suffering from “catastrophic hunger” after more than five months of conflict. More than 30,000 people in Gaza have been killed since Israel launched its war against Hamas in response to the group’s terrorist attack that left about 1,200 people dead.
Critics have accused Israel of not letting enough food and medicine into Gaza to alleviate the suffering of the 2.2 million Palestinians who live there, a charge that Israeli leaders have consistently denied.
Cyprus is the closest EU member to Israel and the Palestinian territories. Cypriot leaders say their country is a natural point for collecting and inspecting shipments destined for Gaza.
“The Cyprus maritime corridor aims at scaling up aid by complementing other routes, that include the all-important Rafah crossing from Egypt and the airdrops from Jordan,” Christodoulides said, adding that “Cyprus bears a moral duty to do its utmost to assist in alleviating the humanitarian crisis.”
Getting aid into Gaza could prove problematic due to the enclave’s limited port infrastructure. In an effort to solve that issue, U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Thursday a plan to establish a temporary port in Gaza.
