The Open Arms vessel (C) pictured in the Cypriot port of Larnaca on March 11, 2024. (Photo by Iakovos Hatzistavrou / AFP)
Rafah, Gaza Strip: An aid ship loaded with some 200 tons of food set sail for Gaza on Tuesday in a pilot program for the opening of a sea corridor to the territory, where the five-month Israeli onslaught war has driven hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of starvation.
The food was gathered by World Food Kitchen, the charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, and is being carried on a barge attached to a ship belonging to the Spanish aid group Open Arms. It is expected to arrive at an undisclosed location on the Gaza coastline in two to three days. Andrés and the Open Arms boat captain, Oscar Camps, confirmed the food was destined for northern Gaza.
The United States has separately announced plans to construct a sea bridge near Gaza in order to deliver aid, but it will likely be several weeks before it is operational. President Joe Biden's administration has provided crucial military aid for Israel while urging it to facilitate more humanitarian access.
The war has killed over 30,000 Palestinians and driven most of Gaza's 2.3 million people from their homes. A quarter of Gaza's population is starving, according to the United Nations., because they cannot find enough food or afford it at vastly inflated prices.
The United States, Qatar and Egypt had tried to broker a cease-fire and hostage release ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began on Sunday. But the talks stalled last week.
Aid groups say it is nearly impossible to deliver aid in much of the territory because of Israeli restrictions, ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of law and order after the police force largely vanished from the streets.
Conditions are especially dire in northern Gaza, which has suffered widespread devastation and been largely cut off by Israeli forces since October. Up to 300,000 Palestinians are believed to have remained there despite Israeli evacuation orders, with many reduced to eating animal feed in recent weeks.
On Monday, the first day of the normally festive month of Ramadan, children with pots lined up at a charity kitchen in the urban Jabaliya refugee camp. Each was given a small portion of cooked carrots and sweet potatoes to break the dawn-to-dusk fast.
"Our children can't find anything to eat," said Bassam al-Haw, a volunteer. "No food, no water, no flour.”
The planned sea route has the support of the European Union, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and other countries. The US and other countries have also launched airdrops of aid in recent days, but such efforts are costly and unlikely to meet the mounting needs.
Once the Open Arms ship nears Gaza, two smaller vessels will tow the barge to a jetty that World Central Kitchen is building. World Central Kitchen then plans to distribute the food in northern Gaza.
Organizers said the jetty will be outside of northern Gaza but declined to provide further details. Andrés told The Associated Press in a brief interview Saturday evening that they want to keep the location secret to prevent large crowds from disrupting the delivery.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen thanked Cyprus for setting up the corridor from the island nation in the eastern Mediterranean, calling the ship's departure "a sign of hope,” in a posting on X. "We will work hard together for many ships to follow,” she added.
Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides said the inaugural voyage is "one of hope and humanity” and would provide a "lifeline to civilians.”
Gaza’s Health Ministry says the Israeli offensive has killed at least 31,112 Palestinians, adding that women and children make up around two-thirds of the dead.
