Interest grows in Cypriot plan for seaborne aid corridor to Gaza

A Cypriot government spokesman said Wednesday that European Union Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen will visit Cyprus to inspect installations at the port of Larnaca, from where it’s hoped ships loaded with humanitarian aid will soon depart for Gaza.

Spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis told reporters that that Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides will join Von der Leyen on her inspection of the port on Friday.

Letymbiotis said interest over the Cypriot initiative to ship a steady stream of aid in large quantities to the Palestinian enclave some 240 miles (386 kilometers) away has gained traction, both within the EU and among other countries.

EU spokesman Eric Mamer said Wednesday the bloc is hopeful that the corridor’s opening “will take place very soon.”

EU Commission spokesman Balazs Ujvari said the maritime corridor could augment the bloc’s efforts to deliver more aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Another possibility is to organize airdrops, but this would be a last resort and cannot replace ground access to the enclave “which remains absolutely essential.”

Ujvari said the EU has so far carried out around 40 flights to deliver aid to Gaza, primarily through Egypt.