Israel has given its agreement “in principle” to Cyprus for the opening of the maritime corridor between the eastern Mediterranean island and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Thursday (December 28). But there remain “some practical problems to resolve,” ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
This project should contribute to significantly increasing humanitarian aid for the 2.4 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, after verification of cargoes in Cyprus “under Israeli supervision”, he recalled. The proposal was made several weeks ago by Cyprus.
A total of 21,320 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since the start of Israeli military operations, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-administered Gaza Strip. And the humanitarian situation there is disastrous. Some 1.9 million people, or 85% of the population, have been pushed from their homes, according to the UN. There is a severe shortage of basic necessities in the territory, which has been under total siege by Israel since October 9.
Ship safety in doubt
Humanitarian aid is currently being delivered in very insufficient quantities by land via the Rafah crossing point, between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Cyprus is located just 400 kilometers from the coast of Gaza.
Official Cypriot sources, cited Thursday by the CNA news agency, affirmed that Nicosia had completed all the necessary procedures to establish the maritime corridor. But questions have been raised about the safety of the ships and their crews as they approach the Gaza coast, as well as the unloading arrangements.
In presenting its plan, Cyprus, a member of the European Union, explained that the aid would be collected and then stored on the island, where it would be inspected by a joint committee including Israeli representatives before being transported by boat.