The head of the European Commission said on Friday a maritime aid corridor could start operating between Cyprus and Gaza this weekend, part of accelerating western efforts to relieve the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave.
Ursula von der Leyen’s comments came a day after President Joe Biden announced plans for the US military to build a temporary port on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast, amid UN warnings of famine among the tiny territory’s 2.3 million people.
Negotiations on a possible ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas, now in its fifth month, remained deadlocked in Cairo, while the UN human rights office urged Israel not to extend its military offensive into the border town of Rafah, saying this would cause a further “massive loss of life”.
EU Commission president Von der Leyen said a pilot test run of food aid collected by a charity group and supported by the UAE could be leaving Cyprus. “We are launching this Cyprus maritime corridor together, the EU, the UAE, and the US,” she said.
