Gaza received its first maritime aid, arranged with the cooperation of the US mission, World Central Kitchen (WCK), and the UAE. The aid includes 200 tons of food for a famine-struck region of Gaza. The agencies assigned with the task of delivering the aid accused Israeli officials of causing hindrance in the path of aid provision to needy people in the region.

Israel has refused these accusations by saying that it is supporting the aid supply processes of other countries by offering two crossings in the southern region. The reason for the late arrival of humanitarian aid is a failure in the logistics of the aid-giving agencies.

The aid includes food items necessary for the Holy month of Ramadan like dates, salt, flour, rice, oil, beans, carrots, etc. The Israeli officials conducted a thorough check at the port of Cyprus. This aid was also a trial to see if delivering aid via sea route was effective or not. The aid-provider agencies claim the aid provision to be the best way of providing people who need supplies with the needed supplies, but the restrictions imposed by Israel are blocking the main portion of what has to be delivered.

WCK released a statement in which they said, “All cargo was offloaded and is being prepared for distribution in Gaza.” Due to the hard work and efforts of the crew members, the aid was transferred to the dry land within a night. The team used rubble from the destroyed buildings in Gaza to build a jetty on the shore.

According to the UN relief agencies, another difficult task would be the aid distribution to needy people first. While giving his success in loading aid to 12 trucks, the founder of WCK, chef José Andrés, posted “We did it!” on X. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) gave a statement that troops from their side would secure the shore shortly.

On Tuesday, after the ship started its journey from Larnaca port, everyone was looking forward to its safe arrival at the shoreline. A second vessel with 240 tons of aid and supplies of necessities is ready at the same port to sail upon receiving a signal to move. While talking to the journalists, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said, “The first ship has started its return to Cyprus, and we are ready to dispatch the second ship.”

To expedite the process of providing help to the suffering in Palestine, people have planned to start the construction of a floating dock beside the shore, but the logistics of this construction are still under consideration. According to the White House, this will ensure the supply of two million meals to the starving residents of Gaza.

Earlier, the land deliveries by the World Food Programme were temporarily discontinued due to looting that took place to get aid from the convoys. Similarly, the air drop programme in which the aid was to be sent via helicopters was also paused, the reason being the failure of parachutes to open and helicopters of people receiving help from the aid package receiving deaths.

Urgent actions in Gaza are required due to the warning of an “almost inevitable” famine by the United Nations. Joseph Borrell, the foreign policy chief of the EU, called this famine “manmade” by Israel, which, according to him, is using starvation to fight the Palestinians. The Israeli army killed 36 more Palestinians in a strike near a refugee camp named Nuseirat in central Gaza.

All this is happening at a time when the PM of Israel has given his approval to strike Rafah in the south, where millions of Palestinians have taken refuge. The talks on a ceasefire in Gaza will continue on Sunday. Earlier, Netanyahu rejected a “comprehensive vision” presented by Hamas for a truce between Israel and Gaza. Netanyahu called the truce efforts “unrealistic.” In order to fill “the remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas,” David Barnea, the spy chief of Israel, will meet the Prime Minister of Qatar and officials from Egypt in Doha, Qatar.