A new maritime avenue, poised to usher in necessary resources from Cyprus to Gaza this weekend, emerges as a secondary solution to aid the needy Palestinians in the densely populated coastal region. They’ve been afflicted with hunger, health challenges, and lack of shelter.
With the advent of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, the initiation of this sea route will uplift the spirits of families struggling to maintain their basic necessities. Several have had to adopt measures such as reducing meal portions, utilizing animal feed to bake bread, or consuming local herbs to fend off starvation. Such conditions have, unfortunately, resulted in the death of 17 children already, as reported by the health authorities of Palestine.
On Friday, the project’s specifics were revealed in the port town of Larnaca by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides. Both the organizers of the venture and residents of Gaza will have their patience tested as the initial consignment nears Gaza. Expectations could be jeopardized if Israel rejects the inaugural ship loaded with essential food supplies, or if the starving Gaza population commandeers the landed resources intended for distribution via lorries. Maritime and land deliveries equally bank on Israeli cooperation, security arrangements, and structured distribution after entry into Gaza. As such, outcomes are uncertain.
Palestinian activists have expressed their displeasure over the meeting between the Netherlands’ ruler and the Israeli President. The new initiative must maintain and even amplify food transports until the US establishes a provisional dock, as mentioned by President Joe Biden in his State of the Union address. This would significantly accelerate the influx of assistance into Gaza and compensate for the critical shortfall in land-based deliveries. However, establishing this pier is crucial as Gaza does not have a deepwater port and can take several weeks to become functional – time that the starving Gaza population cannot afford.
While it’s unclear how transport, security, and distribution responsibilities will be managed, as Biden specified no US military personnel would be involved, it’s evident that land-based distribution through Egypt’s Rafah terminal or Israel’s Kerem Shalom remains the most optimal. these channels had a pre-crisis daily load capacity of 500 trucks transporting food, medical supplies, and consumer goods. However, Israeli entry restrictions, drawn-out inspections and periodic prohibitions on various items have diminished life-saving supplies’ availability. The World Food Programme reported a drop in the daily number of trucks carrying only food, from 150 between January and September 2023, to a mere 59 between October 7th and January 24th of this year.
Relief support in the form of air-dropping packaged meals on Gaza’s shorelines is considered the least effective strategy, as these parcels are prone to be snatched by whoever has the capacity to guard their loot. The proposition of a maritime corridor was initially introduced and executed by Christodoulides back in November. Despite receiving initial approval from Israel, a British naval vessel laden with 80 tonnes of aid was rejected. The ship then redirected its course to Malta, anxiously waiting for permission to discharge its cargo at Al-Arish in Egypt. The aid was then ferried by lorries to Rafah, where it joined extensive queues awaiting entry into Gaza. Commenting on the predicament, Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations coordinator for Gaza stated that neither air nor sea delivery can replace the necessity of land transportation.
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