London, Thanasis Gavos

He was delivered on Monday to Egypt the first shipment of humanitarian aid to Gaza which provides by sea the United Kingdom.

This is the 87 tons of aid which had loaded the auxiliary landing ship RFA Lyme Bay from Cyprus weeks ago.

The delivery did not take place directly in Israel or the Palestinian territories, because the Netanyahu government has not yet given permission to land in those areas, specifically at the port of Ashdod, from where the plan would see the aid cargo transported through the Kerem Shalom crossing to Gauze.

Talks to do so are reportedly ongoing, but logistical and security issues remain pending with regard to corridors directly to Gaza.

The cargo was unloaded at Port Said on Egypt’s northeastern Mediterranean coast. It will be transferred from the Egyptian Red Crescent to Al Aresnear the border with the Gaza Strip and from there through the Rafah crossing to civilians, to whom it will be distributed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Transfer to Egypt follows the visit to Al Aris of British Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron on 21 December where he met with representatives of the Red Crescent, as well as the visit of British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps to Cyprus and Israel on 7 December, where he pressed for the acceleration of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The Foreign Office statement states that “the UK will continue to explore other avenues for aid deliveries, including the Cypriot initiative for a sea corridor between Cyprus and Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories and support to the United Nations World Food Program through the humanitarian land corridor from Jordan via Kerem Shalom’.

However, it is noted at the same time that this first cargo is part of the British Cypriot cooperation and “puts into operation” the Cypriot initiative for the maritime humanitarian corridor to Gaza.

The aid package includes 10,770 isothermal blankets4,805 tents and medical supplies sent by the UK and Cyprus.

Lord Cameron said that his country is committed to supporting the people of Gaza and that the 90 tons of vital supplies will be delivered as part of this.

“Significantly more aid is needed to reach Gaza to alleviate the plight of the Palestinian people. The UK will continue to work with our partners in the region to open up more aid routes, including through the proposed sea corridor between Cyprus and Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” added the British Foreign Secretary.

Defense Secretary Grant Shapps described the first sea delivery of aid as a “significant milestone”, while stressing that the entire Lyme Bay cargo had been pre-screened in Cyprus.

London has announced almost £60m of extra aid for Gaza in the current financial year (to April)