IDF preparing for arrival of first humanitarian aid shipment from Cyprus to Gaza

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

A ship belonging to the Open Arms aid group with aid on a platform ferrying some 200 tons of rice and flour to Gaza, departs from the port from southern city of Larnaca, Cyprus, March 12, 2024 (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
A ship belonging to the Open Arms aid group with aid on a platform ferrying some 200 tons of rice and flour to Gaza, departs from the port from southern city of Larnaca, Cyprus, March 12, 2024 (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

The IDF says it is preparing for the arrival of a ship from Cyprus bringing almost 200 tons of food to the Gaza Strip, in what will be the first humanitarian aid delivery by sea.

The charity ship Open Arms set sail on Tuesday out of Larnaca port, towing a barge containing a load of flour, rice, and protein from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) organization, funded by the United Arab Emirates and Cyprus.

The IDF says the aid delivery is being “carried out in coordination with Israeli security and civilian authorities, in accordance with the directive of the government of Israel and at the request of the US government.”

The ship will be inspected by the Israeli Navy at sea once it gets to around 20 nautical miles from the Gaza coast, according to information seen by The Times of Israel. From there, the aid ship will be escorted by the Navy and Air Force toward Gaza’s coast. At a certain stage, an Israeli vessel will tow the aid to a makeshift temporary pier built by WCK in the central Gaza Strip.

The distribution of the aid itself, however, will not be carried out by the IDF. An Israeli official previously told The Times of Israel that WCK is responsible for getting the food to Gazan civilians.

At the coast, the IDF will secure the aid at a distance from the air and sea, similar to how it has secured convoys on the ground.

The first delivery by sea will serve as a trial run for the IDF for future and potentially larger convoys of humanitarian aid to the Strip’s coast. The IDF is also carrying out trials of delivering aid directly to northern Gaza using a new military road. Various nations also are still carrying out airdrops.

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