Israeli FM backs plan to ‘fast track’ Gaza aid via Cyprus

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen expressed support during his visit to Cyprus on Wednesday for plans to send humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip from the Mediterranean island.

Cyprus has proposed establishing a corridor to collect, inspect, and store aid on the island before shipping it to Gaza.

Cohen, after talks with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos, emphasised the need for an “organized and well-inspected” transfer of aid.

“We aim to create a fast track for humanitarian aid to Gaza through this corridor,” he told reporters.

The ministers visited a search and rescue coordination center in Larnaca, discussing logistical details for the plan. Cohen also inspected facilities at Larnaca port, the departure point for aid shipments.

Cyprus was ready to deliver large quantities of aid through this “maritime lifeline” expected to provide “a sustained flow of high-volume humanitarian assistance to the civilians” in Gaza, Kombos said.

“We look forward to your green light for the first voyage,” he told Cohen.

Under the plan, the aid would checked in Cyprus by a joint committee, including representatives from Israel.

The initiative aims to enhance humanitarian relief to Gaza by importing large volumes by ship instead of the limited deliveries by truck through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Israel is facing mounting international pressure that could speed up the dispatch of much-needed aid to Gaza, subjected to months of sustained Israeli bombardment.

Israel has vowed to dismantle Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza, in response to the October 7 attacks in which around 1,140 people, mostly civilians, were killed and about 250 abducted, according to the latest Israeli figures.

Its retaliatory aerial bombing and ground offensive has killed 19,667 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

The Israeli response also left swathes of Gaza in ruins, including hospitals. The United Nations says it has also displaced 1.9 million of the territory’s 2.4 million people.

Forced into overcrowded shelters, the displaced have struggled to find fuel, food, water and medical care.

Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides has promoted his Gaza initiative among fellow EU leaders and friendly Arab states, and Larnaca was chosen due to its proximity to the Middle East.

The city is also home to the island’s international airport, expected to receive aid from other countries.