LARNACA: A ship laden with relief supplies for Gaza was preparing to depart Cyprus on Saturday as part of efforts to aid a population on the brink of famine.
The European Commission has said a maritime aid corridor between Cyprus and Gaza could start operating as early as this weekend in a pilot project run by an international charity and financed by the UAE.
The Open Arms, a vessel owned by a Spanish NGO and more accustomed to rescuing migrants at sea, was expected to be deployed in the first mission. It was still at the port of Larnaca in Cyprus on Saturday afternoon, live images from Reuters TV showed, and authorities could not give a precise departure time.
Cyprus lies about 210 miles north-west of Gaza, or about 15 hours sailing time.
Separately, the United States has said it plans to build a temporary jetty to bring aid into Gaza, which has no port infrastructure. It too plans to initially use Cyprus, which is offering a process for screening cargoes which will include Israel officials, removing the need for security checks in Gaza.
Negotiations on a possible ceasefire in Israel's war against Hamas remain deadlocked.
Pallets of rice, flour and protein were being loaded in Larnaca on Saturday in an operation organised by the World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity and mostly funded by the UAE.
Aid agencies have warned of a looming famine five months into Israel's campaign against Hamas. Most of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants are now internally displaced, with severe bottlenecks in aid deliveries at land border checkpoints.
A sea corridor from Cyprus will supplement attempts to boost aid supplies, which have included airdrops of food.
The charity WCK has partnered with Spain's Proactiva Open Arms and is sourcing the food.
"WCK and partners agree more than one ship will be needed and are working towards a constant flow of aid," it said in a statement, adding that another 500 tonnes of aid was ready to follow the initial shipment.
A spokesperson for WCK said the intention was to sail to Gaza, where WCK and partners were building a jetty. It was not related to the U.S. jetty project.
Gaza has been under an Israeli navy blockade since 2007, when Hamas took control of the enclave. There have been few direct sea arrivals since then. Larnaca port was used by pro-Palestinian activists, who used small sail boats to get into Gaza harbour in 2008.
Aid ship for Gaza expected to depart Cyprus this weekend
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Aid ship for Gaza expected to depart Cyprus this weekend
- The European Commission has said a maritime aid corridor between Cyprus and Gaza could start operating as early as this weekend
- The Open Arms, a vessel owned by a Spanish NGO and more accustomed to rescuing migrants at sea, was expected to be deployed in the first mission
Gaza civil defense says 5 killed in Israeli shelling of shelter
- Bassal said the “five martyrs have been recovered as a result of the Israeli shelling of the shelter at the Gaza Martyrs School“
- “Shortly after identification, the troops fired at the suspicious individuals to eliminate the threat,” the military said
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Gaza’s civil defense agency said Israeli shelling on a school-turned-shelter killed five people on Friday, while the military said it had fired at “suspicious individuals.”
Spokesman for the agency, Mahmud Bassal, told AFP that “five martyrs have been recovered as a result of the Israeli shelling of the shelter at the Gaza Martyrs School,” in the Tuffah neighborhood east of Gaza City.
When asked by AFP about the incident, the Israeli military said that “during operational activity in the area of the Yellow line in the northern Gaza Strip, a number of suspicious individuals were identified in command structures west of the Yellow line.”
Under the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Israeli forces have withdrawn to positions east of the so-called Yellow Line.
“Shortly after identification, the troops fired at the suspicious individuals to eliminate the threat,” the military said, adding that it was “aware of the claim regarding casualties in the area, and the details are under review.”
“The (Israeli military) regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and operates to mitigate harm to the extent possible,” it said.
The ceasefire, which came into effect in October, remains fragile with both sides alleging violations, and mediators fearing that Israel and Hamas alike are stalling.
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, was to meet officials from Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye in Florida on Friday, hoping to salvage efforts to reach the second stage of the deal.
“Our people expect these talks to result in an agreement to put an end to ongoing Israeli lawlessness, halt all violations and compel the occupation to abide by the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement,” Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim told AFP.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Thursday that at least 395 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the territory since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10.
Israel has also repeatedly accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire, with the military reporting three soldiers killed in the territory since the truce entered into force.
