A maritime corridor to Gaza could become operational as early as this weekend, the European Commission president said, as part of international efforts to deliver humanitarian relief to the besieged region.
Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Cyprus that a ship from Spanish aid group Open Arms was ready for a trial voyage to test the corridor. The ship is anchored in the port of Larnaca, Cyprus, and is awaiting permission to provide food aid from the U.S. charity World Central Kitchen.
“We are launching this Cyprus maritime corridor together with the EU, the United Arab Emirates and the United States,” von der Leyen said after visiting the port facilities.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire and innocent Palestinian families and children are in dire need of basic needs,” she said.
The day before, U.S. President Joe Biden said in his annual State of the Union address that the U.S. military would build a “temporary dock” on the coast of Gaza to help deliver aid to the region.
U.S. military officials said it will take about 60 days to build the pier.
World Central Kitchen is also building a pier to receive aid, including from Cypriot ships, according to the Associated Press.
When asked on Friday whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needed to do more to provide relief to Gaza, Biden told reporters: “Yes, he does.”
Biden took to the microphone Thursday night and said he and Israel’s leaders needed to have a “come to Jesus meeting.”
Biden’s remarks came as he spoke on the House floor with Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet after his State of the Union address.
Bennett urged Biden to keep up pressure on Netanyahu to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“I told him, ‘Bibi, don’t repeat this, but you and I are going to have a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting,” Biden said, using Netanyahu’s nickname.
Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations’ senior humanitarian coordinator for Gaza, told reporters on Friday that the United Nations welcomed the maritime corridor plan. But she noted that maritime corridors and aid airdrops are not a substitute for delivering life-saving aid by truck overland.
Regardless, she said, the maritime program would be of vital help.
Meanwhile, five people were killed when a parachute malfunctioned and a package hit a residential area in northern Gaza’s Shati refugee camp, medics and witnesses reported on Friday.
Mohammed Sheikh, head of emergency care at Al Shifa Medical Center in Gaza City, confirmed the death.
A U.S. defense official told CBS News that a preliminary review indicated the U.S. airdrop was not related to the deaths on the ground, but said further investigation was needed.
Also on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a near-term ceasefire in Gaza depended on Hamas.
Blinken said ahead of talks with the Turkish delegation in Washington that the United States was continuing its efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, despite reports on Thursday that Hamas negotiators had left talks in Cairo.
“At this moment, we are also very concerned about whether we can achieve a ceasefire. The question is Hamas. The question is whether Hamas will decide to cease fire,” Blinken told reporters. “We are also very concerned about reaching a ceasefire agreement that benefits everyone.” The ball is in their court. We are stepping up our efforts to do so. “
Information for this report was obtained in part from The Associated Press, Reuters and AFP.
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