As the aid mission from Cyprus to Gaza began to materialise, involved governments are making supportive moves on diplomatic, political, and technocratic levels.
The Foreign Minister will brief the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council on Monday.
On Tuesday, officials and technocrats will start arriving in Cyprus to participate in a broad consultation.
At the upcoming EU Council meeting, Konstantinos Kombos will not only discuss how Cyprus can assist in addressing the food crisis in Gaza but also how a proposal, previously overlooked by EU officials, is being implemented.
Among those who were reluctant to consider the Cypriot proposal was the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell.
The presence of ministers and experts from countries that have declared participation in the “Amalthea” program will be particularly strong next week.
During his communication with President Christodoulides yesterday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced that the responsible minister of the Dutch government, along with a team of associates, will visit Cyprus next Tuesday.
The Open Arms ship arrived on the shores of the Gaza Strip yesterday and was expected to begin unloading the 200 tons of aid it carried.
The humanitarian aid, including food, was transported in collaboration with the NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK). A second, larger vessel, the “Jennifer,” also part of the WCK mission and currently docked in the Port of Larnaca, was expected to depart for Gaza on Friday.
However, according to sources, this would happen once the loading process of all 500 tons of humanitarian aid onto the ship is completed. This process began on Thursday.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou stated yesterday morning that, according to the information they had, the ship, which had made a stop off the coast of Gaza, resumed its journey in the morning towards the shores of Gaza, where it was expected to dock in the morning hours. At the same time, preparations are being made there to receive the vessel.
He said, “For us, the mission will be completed when the humanitarian aid is unloaded, and the ship returns to Larnaca.”
According to Antoniou, these first two missions are operating as pilots to identify any problems so that, when fully developed, the “Amalthea Plan” can handle a large volume of ship routes.
He noted that this is a significant effort requiring coordination at multiple levels.
Preparations continue for the loading of the second vessel in the Port of Larnaca, the “Jennifer,” which is larger than the “Open Arms” and can carry a larger volume of humanitarian aid.
The “Jennifer,” also a WCK mission, as stated by the organization on its social media, was expected to depart for Gaza on Friday, according to KYPE’s information, but Antoniou said he could not confirm this information.
Meanwhile, the Israeli COGAT (responsible for political affairs in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank) stated in its announcement regarding the maritime transportation of aid to the Palestinian enclave.
Specifically, it stated, “We supported and coordinated the opening of the maritime route, designated for delivering large quantities of aid.” According to COGAT, the aid has been inspected in Cyprus before being transported to Gaza, and the first ship was expected to arrive on Friday.
President Christodoulides had a telephone conversation with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte yesterday from Thessaloniki.
According to the government spokesperson, during the conversation, the President of the Republic informed the Dutch Prime Minister about the ongoing initiative of the Republic of Cyprus to send humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza through the “Amalthea Plan.”
The Netherlands is among the countries that have recognised and expressed interest in participating in the Plan, as part of the Joint Declaration issued by the Republic of Cyprus, the European Commission, the UAE, the USA, and the UK.
During their telephone conversation, the President of the Republic informed Prime Minister Rutte about the developments regarding the maritime corridor and the ongoing efforts to send humanitarian aid from Cyprus to Gaza, while Rutte once again expressed his country’s interest in participating in the “Amalthea Plan,” as well as the Netherlands’ desire and intention to assist the initiative through technical support.
