Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reports the Israeli Ministry of Transport plans to purchase a harbour in Cyprus to inspect aid destined for Gaza.
The paper, cited by the Middle East Monitor, said upon instructions from Minister Miri Regev, a ministry delegation headed by the head of the government-owned Israel Ports Company, Uzi Itzhaki, and members of the Shipping and Seaports Authority, will leave for Cyprus Monday to review opportunities to purchase a port in the Republic of Cyprus.
MEM adds: ‘Israeli estimates indicate the port will cost about $150 million and that the Cypriots are very interested in this step, which is still in its early stage’.
In another development, the Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs, Konstantinos Kombos, has expressed the hope that the boat loaded with humanitarian aid for Gaza will leave Cyprus today.
Speaking on CyBC Radio, Kombos said, however, that nothing can be taken for granted until it is implemented, since, due to the war situation in Gaza, the project is complex.
Kombos added that issues of a technical nature arose earlier, which were dealt with.
He also pointed out that the Republic of Cyprus is already preparing for the next stage, with the dispatch of humanitarian aid from a second ship.
When it finally departs from Larnaca, the ship, belonging to the Spanish charity Open Arms, is expected to take two days to reach Gaza.
The delivery of aid to Gaza is of critical urgency as the humanitarian crisis in the enclave has been worsening since Israel launched a large-scale offensive in Gaza to retaliate against a deadly Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 last year.
