Cyprus-Israel humanitarian corridor offers new hope for Gaza aid

Cyprus announced on Friday that it is nearing an agreement with Israel to establish a maritime corridor for humanitarian aid from the island to the Gaza Strip amidst the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

According to the plan proposed by Nicosia, aid will be collected, inspected, and stored on the island in the eastern Mediterranean.

Then, the aid will be transported to the besieged Gaza Strip by ships examined daily by a joint committee including Israel. 

The ships will sail accompanied by military naval units to a designated point on the Gaza coast, where the aid will be transferred to a neutral and secure land location.

Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides stated, "We are in contact with Israel to implement some final arrangements," adding that the agreement details are also being discussed with the United Nations.

The agreement aims to enhance the quantity of aid entering the Gaza Strip, considering the limited number of trucks allowed to enter through the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

The World Food Programme warned that the 2.4 million citizens of Gaza face a "direct possibility of starving to death" in a region where "food and water supplies are nonexistent."

The program's executive director, Cindy McCain, stated, "There is no way to meet current hunger needs through a single operational border crossing," emphasizing that "the only hope is to open another safe passage for humanitarian aid to bring essential food to Gaza."

Cyprus considers its proposal for the humanitarian maritime corridor to enhance the role of the European Union, as it is a geographically close member state to Palestinian territories and the Middle East.

Christodoulides believes that "the initiative sends a message that we want to take steps and not just words to show that we are committed to security and stability in the region."

However, he did not clarify when this corridor's implementation would begin.

He stated, "What matters is that specific discussions about the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus, an initiative recognized by the international community, have begun at the level of technical details."

Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos visited Tel Aviv on Thursday to discuss this initiative. 

He told journalists on Friday that "the security of the shipment intersects with Israel's security, and without its permission, there will be no passage."

After the outbreak of war, Israel tightened its longstanding blockade on the Gaza Strip and cut off water, electricity, and fuel supplies.

AFP