The British Foreign Secretary announced that the UK will work with the United States and allies to establish a maritime corridor to deliver aid to the people of Gaza, with the first ships set to set sail as early as this weekend.
“The people of Gaza are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. The UK and partners have joined the US in announcing that we will open a sea corridor to deliver aid directly to Gaza,” Lord Cameron posted on X.
“We continue to urge Israel to allow more trucks into Gaza as the fastest way to get aid to those in need.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also announced the launch of a maritime corridor on Friday to alleviate what she called a “humanitarian catastrophe”.
She said: “Europe has provided €250m (£213m) in major humanitarian aid to the Palestinians this year alone”. “But the key challenge is getting aid to the people of Gaza. That’s why we are launching the Cyprus Maritime Corridor with the United States and the UAE [United Arab Emirates]”.
Ms von der Leyen said the pilot scheme would begin immediately, with aid ships likely to depart for Gaza at the weekend from Cyprus, which is about 230 miles away by sea.
The Cyprus government expressed its willingness to host Maritime Assistance Mission last year.
Britain’s role in the operation is unclear. The Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The British and EU statements came after the United States announced plans to build a port in Gaza to receive supplies to address the humanitarian crisis, where much of the population is at risk of famine, according to the United Nations.
The White House said the program would be led by the U.S. military but would not involve “on-the-ground deployment.”
The United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom have criticized Israel for failing to provide enough aid to Gaza. Israel claims aid agencies have failed to distribute supplies.
Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, welcomed the maritime corridor plan but urged Israel to open land crossings.
“We welcome this. At the same time, I have to repeat it – air and sea are not a substitute for land, no one is saying that,” she said.
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