GAZA: The government led by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas in Gaza has expressed dissatisfaction with the recent initiative to send an aid ship from Cyprus to the besieged territory, asserting that it falls short of meeting the urgent needs of Gaza’s 2.4 million inhabitants.
Salama Marouf, spokesman for the government press office, emphasized in a statement on Wednesday that the cargo onboard the aid ship, expected to take days to arrive, is insufficient and equivalent to only one or two trucks’ worth of supplies.
Marouf raised logistical concerns regarding the operation, including uncertainties about the ship’s docking location and the process of reaching Gaza’s shores, as well as apprehensions about Israeli inspections.
He highlighted the fact that a maritime aid corridor is notably less efficient than overland routes, echoing sentiments echoed by UN agencies recently. Marouf urged for international pressure on Israel to facilitate the passage of aid trucks through its border crossings.
Aid Supply to Gaza Amid Widespread Famine
The aid ship, a former salvage vessel operated by Spanish charity Open Arms, embarked on its journey from Cyprus to Gaza on Tuesday, towing a barge loaded with 200 tonnes of aid in a trial run for the maritime corridor. However, as of Wednesday, the vessel had yet to complete the nearly 400-kilometre (250-mile) crossing of the eastern Mediterranean to Gaza.
In response to Gaza’s pressing humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by more than five months of war, aid organizations have underscored the urgent need for increased access to essential supplies. Before the conflict, nearly 500 trucks per day entered Gaza, but the current average stands at only 112 trucks per day, according to UNRWA.
Cumbersome Israeli security checks on incoming cargoes have further hampered aid distribution, with some trucks being turned back due to the presence of prohibited items. Israeli authorities have cited shortages in truck availability on the Palestinian side as contributing to bottlenecks at border crossings.
The ongoing dire food shortages in Gaza have resulted in 27 deaths from malnutrition and dehydration, primarily among children, according to the territory’s health ministry.
