Cyprus Proposes Sea Corridor for Gaza Humanitarian Aid

Cyprus is working with partners in the European Union and the Middle East to establish a sea corridor to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip once the situation on the ground allows this, according to Cypriot authorities.

A senior government official said that Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides had pitched the idea to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, and Netanyahu “was not opposed.”

The plan would see large quantities of assistance delivered by sea some 390 kilometers (240 miles) from Cyprus’s main port, Limassol, to Gaza during “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting to enable aid to reach those in need.

“We want to be ready to start sending aid once a window of opportunity opens,” the official said. “Everyone recognizes the need for this corridor and that it is feasible.”

He said the proposal has the support of many EU member states, including Ireland, Spain, France and The Netherlands, as well as Arab nations such as Egypt, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan. The United States and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank have also been informed of the proposal.

According to the official, Israel’s paramount concern is to ensure that the aid does not contain anything that Hamas could weaponize. Cyprus is also in contact with the Palestinian authorities to determine which aid is needed the most.

The official said the authorities were ironing out logistical details, such as whether the supplies would be shipped by naval or commercial vessels, where the ships would dock to offload aid, and which agencies in Gaza would be tasked with distributing the goods.

“Cyprus is offering the geographical location, the infrastructure and the political will for this proposal to proceed,” the official said.