gaza aid — gaza aid — The fate of the 1,200 tonnes of aid sent from Cyprus to Gaza last week remains unclear. As of 11am on Wednesday, satellite data indicated that the ship carrying the aid, the Panamanian-flagged Henke, was still stationed off the coast of Ashdod, Israel, rather than docked at the port.
Initially, the Henke was expected to unload its cargo last Wednesday, but this timeline was subsequently pushed back to Sunday or Monday. Victor Papadopoulos, director of the presidential press office, informed the Cyprus Mail that no evidence of an artificial holdup in the aid transfer had been found, while foreign ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis stated that there were no problems regarding the aid transfer.
Despite these assurances, questions loom about the current status of the shipment. It is uncertain if the ship has unloaded its cargo and, if so, why it remains anchored off Ashdod. If the aid successfully reaches Ashdod, it would then be transported overland to Gaza through the Erez crossing point.
Repeated attempts by the Cyprus Mail to contact government officials for clarification have gone unanswered. Previously, Papadopoulos had mentioned on CyBC radio that the government was monitoring the situation and acknowledged the difficulties surrounding the transfer of aid to Gaza.
He expressed hope that any existing problems would be resolved, allowing the aid to reach those in need. “We collected the material from various donors, and we contributed, we created the mechanisms, we sent the mission,” he stated. He also highlighted the complex security situation and the paramount importance of ensuring the safety of aid deliverers.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen. Recent reports indicate that an Israeli military strike on a hospital has resulted in the deaths of at least 20 individuals, including journalists working for prominent outlets such as Reuters, the Associated Press, and Al Jazeera. The United Nations has called for thorough investigations into this incident and others, with human rights spokesman Thameen Al-Keetan condemning the strike as “a shock” and “unacceptable.”
The uncertainty surrounding the aid shipment parallels the troubled history of the Amalthea plan, Cyprus’ humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza. Sigrid Kaag, the UN’s special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, remarked last year that the Amalthea project could “never be a substitute” for land-based aid deliveries.
In the past, aid has also been delivered to Gaza from Cyprus via a temporary jetty built and financed by the United States. However, this jetty faced numerous challenges and was only operational for a brief period before being dismantled. Installed in May last year, it was removed two months later after suffering structural damage during high winds.
The jetty had been reattached following repairs but was removed again due to fears it could break apart once more. Additionally, delivery issues arose when the UN World Food Programme suspended operations related to the jetty after an Israeli military operation reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 200 Palestinians.
Tragically, prior to these events, in April last year, seven aid workers transporting humanitarian aid overland from Cyprus were killed in simultaneous Israeli airstrikes. The complexities and dangers involved in delivering aid to Gaza remain a significant concern.