European Commission Chief Announces Maritime Corridor to Gaza for Aid Delivery
In a bid to address the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has announced the establishment of a maritime corridor to facilitate the delivery of aid to the territory. This comes shortly after President Biden revealed plans for the United States to construct a floating pier off Gaza’s shoreline. However, the Pentagon has cautioned that the construction process could take up to 60 days.
The urgency of the situation in Gaza cannot be overstated. The United Nations reports that a quarter of the population is on the brink of famine, with children starving to death. The delivery of aid has been challenging and dangerous, with recent reports indicating that five people were killed by airdropped aid whose parachutes failed to deploy properly. While the US and other nations have resorted to air drops as a last resort, aid organizations argue that this method cannot meet the soaring need.
Speaking in Cyprus, von der Leyen emphasized the severity of the situation in Gaza, describing it as a “humanitarian catastrophe.” The establishment of a sea corridor would enable the delivery of large quantities of additional aid. A joint statement from the European Commission, Cyprus, the US, UK, and UAE acknowledged that operating a sea corridor would be complex and expressed their commitment to pressuring Israel to expand the delivery of aid by road. They called for more routes and additional crossings to be opened.
The UK Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, echoed these sentiments, urging Israel to allow more trucks into Gaza as the fastest way to deliver aid to those in need. Israel has welcomed this initiative and encouraged other countries to join in. A foreign ministry spokesman assured that aid would be delivered after undergoing security checks in accordance with Israeli standards. However, Jeremy Konyndyk, the leader of aid agency Refugees International, expressed skepticism about the maritime route’s ability to deliver sufficient food to address the famine-like conditions in Gaza.
While Israel denies impeding the entry of aid to Gaza and accuses aid organizations of failing to distribute it effectively, the international community is taking action. President Biden announced plans for the US military to construct a pier that would transport supplies from ships at sea to the shore. This operation, which would not involve US troops on the ground in Gaza, aims to enable large ships to deliver food, water, medicine, and temporary shelters. The Pentagon estimates that it could take up to 60 days and over 1,000 personnel to complete the port.
Biden believes that the pier will make a “massive difference” in the amount of aid reaching Gaza. However, he stressed that Israel must also play its part by allowing more aid to enter the territory and ensuring the safety of humanitarian workers. Nevertheless, an independent UN expert, Michael Fakhri, criticized the plan, calling it “absurd” that a close ally of Israel would resort to such measures. Fakhri suggested that the port plan may be more of a performance aimed at a domestic US audience as the presidential campaign gets underway.
Currently, aid lorries are entering the south of Gaza through the Egyptian-controlled Rafah crossing and the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing. However, the north, which has been heavily impacted by the Israeli ground offensive, has been largely cut off from assistance in recent months. Approximately 300,000 Palestinians in this region are living with little access to food or clean water.
Efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas before the start of Ramadan on Sunday appear to be faltering. President Biden acknowledged that it is “looking tough” for a truce to be reached in time. The hope was that a 40-day truce would facilitate much-needed aid deliveries to Gaza. Tragically, last week over 100 people were killed while attempting to reach an aid convoy, with Palestinians claiming that most were shot by Israeli troops. The Israeli military, however, denies firing at Palestinians around the convoy and maintains that they targeted nearby suspects deemed a threat.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has been ongoing since October 7th, with Hamas launching attacks on Israel. The Israeli military responded with an air and ground campaign, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the hostage-taking of 253 others. Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports that over 30,800 people have been killed.
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, international efforts to deliver aid are intensifying. The establishment of a maritime corridor and the construction of a floating pier demonstrate the commitment of various countries and organizations to provide much-needed assistance. However, the challenges and complexities involved in delivering aid to Gaza cannot be underestimated. Urgent action is required to prevent further loss of life and alleviate the suffering of the population.