Cyprus, the European Commission, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Qatar and the United States confirmed their joint commitment to continue their effort to strengthen humanitarian aid to Gaza through Cyprus.
The opening of a maritime aid corridor is a joint project of the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Britain, and the United States.
After a joint teleconference chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Konstantinos Kombos, the ministers pledged to send senior officials to Cyprus next week for consultations on the activation of the corridor and US military planning efforts to create a temporary pier capable of receiving significant amounts of aid.
Senior officials will also consult on the possibility of setting up a joint fund to support the maritime humanitarian corridor.
The joint statement also noted that the ministers stressed the need for Israel to open additional crossings for more aid to reach Gaza, including crossings from the north and easing customs restrictions.
Meanwhile, the government in Gaza has said the new aid corridor falls short of meeting the substantial needs of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents.
“According to what was announced, the ship’s cargo does not exceed that of one or two trucks, and it will take days to arrive,” Salama Marouf, spokesman for the government press office, said.
He said some logistical issues about the operation were unanswered and raised concerns about Israeli checks. “It is still unknown where it will dock and how it will reach the shores of Gaza,” Marouf said, according to Press TV. “Moreover, it will be subject to inspection by the occupying army.”
The long-expected aid vessel heading for Gaza via the Cyprus-based corridor sent out the first consignment on Tuesday morning. It…
