Relief supplies allowed

Israel eases naval blockade of the Gaza Strip

Distribution of urgently needed relief supplies to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip(Bild: APA/AFP)

According to a media report, Israel wants to allow the import of aid supplies to the Gaza Strip by sea for the first time since the start of the war. The goods will reportedly be financed by the United Arab Emirates and delivered from Cyprus.

This was reported by the Israeli daily newspaper "Haaretz" on Wednesday. A spokesperson for EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels also confirmed plans for aid shipments. The World Central Kitchen (WCK) organization would then transport the relief supplies to a dock controlled by the Israeli army with the help of hovercrafts.

Von der Leyen visits Cyprus
According to her spokesperson, von der Leyen will be in Cyprus on Thursday evening and Friday and will also visit the port of Larnaca. From there, the aid supplies are to be brought to the Gaza Strip by ship. The spokesperson would not comment on details. The initiative is being led by Cyprus, he said. It is hoped that the humanitarian corridor can be opened very soon.

A ship loaded with relief supplies had already arrived in Egypt from Cyprus in January. From there, the aid was then transported to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing. 

Aid deliveries from the air(Bild: APA/AFP/Jordanian Army)

Food from the air
Several countries have already airdropped food in view of the great need in the coastal area. Meanwhile, the United Nations is pushing for an expansion of aid deliveries by truck and to allow the transportation of goods via border crossings to the particularly affected north of the territory. UN representatives recently warned the UN Security Council that thousands of civilians in the Gaza Strip could die of starvation.