Seaborne aid reaches Gaza population

The food travelled 200 kilometers by sea from Larnaca to a makeshift jetty off Gaza, arriving Friday. A convoy of eight trucks from the World Food Programme brought the aid to its final destination.

The Cyprus government said a second vessel, Jennifer, loaded with some 500 metric tons of aid is ready to leave Cyprus as soon as weather conditions permit.

Representatives from over 40 countries will meet in Cyprus Thursday to discuss the operation and next steps regarding the aid corridor to the Gaza Strip.

“The meeting is mostly aimed at countries that have not publicly expressed interest in taking part in the humanitarian initiative,” government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis told local radio.

“The scale of humanitarian aid needed by the civilian population in Gaza today requires the contribution of many states. No state can handle it alone, especially Cyprus,” he added.

Half of the population in Gaza is on the brink of famine, an international early warning system set up by governments and NGOs said on Monday. If Israeli forces launch a ground offensive against Rafah, considered a likely scenario, 1.1 million people will face “catastrophic” conditions by mid-July, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said in its latest analysis.