Israel and Cyprus agreed today, Wednesday, to explore ways to establish a maritime aid corridor to Gaza, a step that Israel describes as "an important step" towards economically disengaging from the territory it invaded to eliminate the Hamas movement. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited Cyprus for talks regarding the corridor proposed by Nicosia in early November. An Israeli Foreign Ministry statement noted that the corridor would be subject to security checks coordinated by Israel.
Cyprus, the closest EU member state to the Middle East, has offered to host and operate facilities to provide ongoing aid directly to Gaza once the devastating war between Israel and Hamas concludes. If the plan is implemented, it would mark the first easing of the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza since it was first imposed in 2007 after Hamas took control of the territory.
Cohen stated after discussions with his Cypriot counterpart, Konstantinos Kombos, that "well-supervised international aid will help the region achieve greater stability and prosperity." To date, Israel has only allowed severely restricted trade with the impoverished and isolated Gaza Strip, permitting only a limited number of permits for Gazans to work in Israel for significantly higher wages.
Cohen expressed that the overall goal is to establish a "fast track" for humanitarian aid delivery through a maritime corridor. He added that technical teams from both countries would further discuss the matter on Wednesday and Thursday. "Our goal is to agree on all details as quickly as possible," Cohen said.
The two ministers visited the port of Larnaca, located about 370 kilometers northwest of Gaza, which will serve as the security checkpoint on the Cypriot side of the maritime corridor. Gaza lacks port facilities, but the UK has offered amphibious ships that can access the coast of the territory without needing special infrastructure.
Israel describes its long-standing blockade of Gaza as a precautionary measure to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas and other Palestinian militants by sea, applying it to all types of shipping. An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that vessels involved in delivering aid through the corridor would be exempt from blockade-related procedures.
