Humanitarian aid to enter Gaza by sea for first time since start of war – report

Israel will allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza via the sea for the first time since the October 7 Hamas terror onslaught and the start of the war in the Palestinian enclave, Channel 13 reports.

The United Arab Emirates will finance the aid shipments, which will be sent from the Gulf state to Cyprus, where they will be subject to inspection by Israeli officials, the report states. From there, the ships will travel to Gaza and unload on the coast.

The first flotilla will depart for Cyprus in the coming days with the hope that it will reach Gaza at the start of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month set to begin on March 10 or 11, the report states.

The idea for a marine humanitarian corridor has been floated for years but never got off the ground due to Israeli reticence and concerns that the port in Gaza isn’t equipped to accept aid en masse.

The US has made a renewed push for a marine humanitarian corridor to be established following last week’s deadly mass-casualty incident where dozens of Palestinians were killed trying to collect aid in northern Gaza, which has been largely cut off from humanitarian assistance.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says during a press briefing, “We’re exploring other channels to get aid into Gaza, including a maritime route. To that end, we’re looking at both military and commercial options to move assistance by sea.”

“There’s still an awful lot of work that’s being done on this to flesh it out. We’re also going to continue to urge Israel to facilitate more trucks and more routes opening up more crossings so that more aid can get in to people in need and [for the] flor to be increased,” he adds.

“The maritime route can move more volume at sea, but it also is going to require a heavier logistics lift and some infrastructure… and is very much going to need the support of allies and partners,” he adds.