Dec 20, 2023. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
Israel and
Cyprus agreed on Wednesday to pursue ways to set up a maritime aid corridor to
Gaza, a move Israel said was an "important step" towards disengaging
economically from the enclave it has invaded to wipe out Hamas militants.
Israel's foreign minister was in Cyprus for talks on the corridor, proposed by Nicosia in early November. It will be subject to a security inspection coordinated by Israel, an Israeli foreign ministry statement said.
Cyprus, the
closest European Union member state to the Middle East, has offered to host and
operate facilities for sustained aid directly into the Gaza Strip once the
devastating war between Israel and Hamas ends.
Should the
plan materialize, it will be the first time an Israeli naval blockade on Gaza
is eased since it was first imposed by Israel in 2007, after the Hamas seized
control of the Palestinian territory.
"International
aid, well supervised, will help the region gain more stability and
prosperity," Cohen said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart
Constantinos Kombos.
The
announcement came with Israel facing increasing pressure from its international
allies to rein in a military onslaught that has laid waste to much of the
coastal enclave in retaliation for a cross-border Hamas killing spree on Oct.
7.
Until then,
Israel allowed only heavily restricted trade with impoverished and isolated
Gaza, and a limited number of permits for Gazans to work in Israel for much
higher pay.
The overall
objective, Cohen said, was to create a "fast track" for humanitarian
aid to be delivered via a sea corridor. Technical teams from the two countries
would be discussing the matter further on Wednesday and Thursday, he said.
"Our
aim is to have all the details agreed as soon as possible," Cohen said.
The two
ministers visited the port of Larnaca, which is situated some 370 km (230
miles) northwest of Gaza and would be the security checkpoint on the Cypriot
end of the maritime lane.
Gaza lacks
port facilities but Britain has offered amphibious vessels able to access the
enclave's coastline without the need for special infrastructure.
Israel
calls its long-standing Gaza blockade a precaution against arms reaching Hamas
and other Palestinian militants by sea, and enforces it on any and all
shipping.
An Israeli
foreign ministry spokesman said ships taking part in aid deliveries through the
corridor would be exempted from the blockade.
(Reuters)
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