GAZA, (PIC)
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has said that the operation of a maritime aid corridor between Cyprus and Gaza is expected to begin next week, with the aim of delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Von der Leyen added that the first food aid through this corridor is expected to depart from the Cypriot port of Larnaca on Friday, as a trial.
This statement comes after the announcement by US President Joe Biden in his State of the Union address that he has ordered the military to begin implementing this project, which he clarified that Israel has agreed to, a move that some observers consider to be in favor of Israel.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, for his part, announced his country’s participation with the United States in opening the maritime corridor in order to deliver aid directly to Gaza.
Israeli media reported that this initiative was discussed between Israeli and the United States in the past, and the two sides agreed to coordinate to implement it.
Hisham Khreisat, a Jordanian expert in military and strategic affairs, explained that the idea of the port was proposed 10 years ago, but Israel rejected it at the time. The issue was reintroduced in conjunction with the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, by the Israeli foreign minister, who agreed to this step by both Cyprus and Greece.
Khreisat pointed out that the port area will be 6 square kilometers and will include floating hospitals that will treat approximately two million Palestinians in Gaza, in addition to floating accommodation units. He added that the ship’s berthing depth on the quay will not be less than 17 meters to accommodate all aid ships.
However, he emphasized that the ships will first go to the Israeli port of Ashdod to be inspected and examined before being sent under the control of the Israeli navy and drones to the Gaza Strip.
Hidden Objectives
Khreisat indicates that the apparent objective of this step is the humanitarian aspect, aiming to deliver relief aid to the Gaza Strip, as well as treating war casualties. However, he added that the hidden goal of establishing this port is its connection to encouraging voluntary Palestinian migration to Europe, in addition to canceling the role of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Khreisat also pointed out that the establishment of such a port will certainly render the Rafah crossing out of service because Israel does not trust it and considers it the main entry point for weapons for the Hamas Movement.
On the other hand, the spokesman for the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights, Jeremy Laurence, called for an immediate end to the conflict in Gaza and a cessation of killing and destruction. He called for the full opening of border crossings and the necessary steps to ensure the free and safe movement of aid convoys to civilians wherever they are.
Laurence warned that any ground attack on Rafah would lead to severe loss of life and increase the risk of further heinous crimes.
