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'Sign of hope': First aid ship to Gaza leaves Cyprus in pilot project amid war

The exact destination of the ship was kept under wraps to avoid a repetition of the February 29 incident that saw Israeli troops firing on a crowd of Palestinians racing for aid

Published: Tue 12 Mar 2024, 1:24 PM

Updated: Tue 12 Mar 2024, 1:25 PM

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  • AP

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Photo: AP

Photo: AP

An aid ship loaded with some 200 tonnes of food set sail for Gaza on Tuesday in a pilot programme for the opening of a sea corridor to the territory, where the five-month-old Israel-Hamas war has driven hundreds of thousands of people to the brink of starvation.

The food was gathered by World Food Kitchen, the charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, and is being carried on a barge attached to a ship belonging to the Spanish aid group Open Arms. It is expected to arrive at an undisclosed location on the Gaza coastline in two to three days.

Andrés and the Open Arms boat captain, Oscar Camps, confirmed the food was destined for northern Gaza.

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On Saturday evening, Andrés told AP in a brief interview they wanted to keep the location under wraps to avoid a repetition of the February 29 incident that saw Israeli troops firing on a large crowd of Palestinians racing to pull food off an aid convoy in Gaza City, killing over 100 people, according to the Gaza health ministry.

The US has separately announced plans to construct a sea bridge near Gaza in order to deliver aid, but it will likely be several weeks before it is operational.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides posted social media platform X that the inaugural voyage was “one of hope and humanity” and that food being delivered is a “lifeline to civilians.” The Cypriot government initially pitched the idea of using the east Mediterranean island nation as a base to send aid to Gaza by ship.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen thanked the Cypriot president and wrote on X that the ship’s departure was “a sign of hope,” and vowed to "do everything in our power for aid to reach Palestinians.”

The war, triggered by Hamas' October 7 attack into Israel, has killed over 30,000 Palestinians and driven some 80 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million people from their homes. The UN says a quarter of the population is starving.

The US, Qatar and Egypt had tried to broker a cease-fire and hostage release ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, which began on Sunday, but the talks stalled last week as Hamas demanded that any temporary pause in the fighting come with guarantees for ending the war.

Aid groups say it is nearly impossible to deliver aid in much of the territory because of Israeli restrictions, ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of law and order after the Hamas-run police force largely vanished from the streets.

The planned sea route has the support of the European Union, the US, the UAE, and other countries. The US and other countries have also launched airdrops of aid in recent days, but aid groups say those efforts are costly and unlikely to meet the mounting needs.

Once the ship nears Gaza, two smaller vessels will tow the barge to a jetty that World Central Kitchen is building at an undisclosed location, organisers said. The food charity then plans to distribute it through the 60 kitchens it operates across Gaza.

Israel says it supports the effort and will be inspecting all cargo before it sets sail for Gaza.

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