A ship transported 200 tons of humanitarian supplies, food, and water to Gaza on Friday, according to the Israeli military, marking the beginning of a sea route from Cyprus to provide aid to alleviate the humanitarian crisis resulting from Israel’s 5-month attack on the enclave.
Pressure has been mounting on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, particularly in the isolated northern part, where hunger is severe and many people are resorting to eating animal feed and weeds. The United States has joined other countries in dropping supplies into northern Gaza and has announced plans to build a pier for aid delivery.
Aid groups have stated that airdrops and sea shipments are much less effective than truck convoys for delivering the large amounts of aid needed. Instead, they have urged Israel to secure safe corridors for truck convoys, as land deliveries have become nearly impossible due to military restrictions, ongoing hostilities, and the breakdown of order after the disappearance of the Hamas-run police force.
The ship, operated by the Spanish aid group Open Arms, departed from Cyprus on Tuesday towing a barge loaded with various food items. The food was sent by World Central Kitchen, the charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, which runs kitchens providing free meals in Gaza.
Throughout Friday, the ship could be seen off the coast of Gaza. In the evening, the military announced that its cargo had been unloaded onto 12 trucks. Grainy footage released by the military showed a truck on a pier approaching the barge.
The food is set to be distributed in the north, the area most affected by Israel’s initial attack in Gaza, where up to 300,000 Palestinians are believed to remain, mostly cut off by Israeli forces since October.
The delivery is meant to pave the way for larger shipments. Cyprus’ Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos stated that a second vessel will head to Gaza once the supplies on the first ship are distributed. Its timing depends in part on whether the Open Arms delivery goes smoothly, he said.
The Israel-Hamas conflict was sparked by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people and resulted in another 250 being taken into Gaza as captives. Israel’s attack in Gaza has killed over 31,000 Palestinians and forced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people from their homes. According to the United Nations, a quarter of Gaza’s population is starving.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza accused Israeli forces on Thursday of attacking Palestinians waiting for an aid convoy at a distribution point in northern Gaza, killing at least 20 people and injuring 155. At Shifa Hospital, doctors said the casualties were mostly hit by live ammunition, with some showing signs of being crushed.
The Israeli military refuted the allegations that its forces shot at civilians or the convoy. It stated that Palestinian gunmen opened fire among the crowd and that some were run over by the trucks. Aerial footage released by the military seemed to show only one man pushing and shoving people.
A violent incident involving a humanitarian aid convoy on February 29 resulted in the deaths of 118 Palestinians in northern Gaza. The Israeli military claimed that its forces shot at people in the crowd who were approaching them, and tanks fired warning shots to scatter them. Witnesses and hospital staff reported that many of the victims had been shot.
Initially, military officials attributed many of the deaths to a stampede. However, a subsequent military command review only mentioned that the stampede caused "significant harm" without explaining the cause of the deaths.
Following that, plans for a sea route were developed, and the United States and other countries, along with Jordan, assisted in dropping aid into the north by aircraft.
