International Support Grows for Humanitarian Aid Mission to Gaza Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict

President of the European Commission,‌ Ursula von ⁤der Leyen, and President⁣ Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus were seen at the port ‍of Larnaca on Friday. Britain, the European Union, and the United Arab Emirates will join the United States in opening a maritime route for⁣ humanitarian relief to Gaza.‍ This Western-backed effort to bring urgently needed aid to ⁢the territory by sea appeared ‌to gather momentum. Ursula⁢ von der Leyen, the president of the E.U. executive body, and ⁤David ‍Cameron, Britain’s foreign secretary, announced their participation hours after President Biden‍ outlined a U.S. plan to build a​ temporary floating pier off Gaza’s​ Mediterranean coast to ⁣support the shipment of food, water, medicine, and other necessities to desperate Palestinian civilians. Ms. von der Leyen said that⁤ the first ship carrying aid could depart⁢ the E.U. nation of Cyprus for Gaza as soon as Friday, with more to ‌follow on Sunday. Gaza does not have a functioning port, its coastal waters are too shallow for⁣ most vessels, and U.S. officials have said it could take ⁣30 to 60 days to set up the floating pier. At a​ news conference in Cyprus, ​Ms. von der Leyen offered few details. Israeli officials have said they support the establishment of‍ a maritime corridor as long‌ as the goods​ can be checked “in accordance with Israeli​ standards” before leaving Cyprus. ‌Despite the many questions, U.S. and European officials emphasized the urgent need to open new routes for ⁢aid‌ into Gaza, where relief agencies say that 2.2 million Palestinians are ⁣facing extreme hunger amid Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks against Hamas. For ⁢months, the United States‌ and others have ‌warned that‍ Israel⁢ was not ⁣allowing sufficient aid ⁢by land ⁤into⁢ Gaza. Those concerns have⁣ multiplied in​ recent days, as Palestinian health ‍officials reported that ⁣some Gazan children had died of malnutrition and the United Nations warned that ​more than 570,000 people are facing “catastrophic ‍levels of deprivation and⁢ starvation.” Aid officials say that sea shipments — and a limited number‍ of airdrops conducted by ⁤the United⁢ States and⁣ other nations — cannot make up for the lack of supply⁤ routes by ⁣land. Only‍ about 100 relief trucks entered Gaza ⁣each day ⁣in February, on average, through the two open​ land routes, a fraction of what ​was going in before​ the war… Source from www.nytimes.com