According to the Associated Press, United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister supports the Greek Cyprus-Greece proposal to use the east Mediterranean island as a staging post to transport humanitarian aid earmarked for blockaded Gaza.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said Wednesday that the initiative has a “very strong humanitarian base” and would boost the Palestinian Authority’s role in delivering aid to Gaza. Under this Greek-Cypriot initiative, ships would use Cypriot ports to ferry aid destined for Gaza some 240 miles away. It is unclear where the ships would dock for offloading or how the aid would enter Gaza.
Cyprus and Greece unveiled the initiative after a May 31 Israeli commando raid on an aid flotilla attempting to breach the blockade left nine activists dead.
Eight Turks and one U.S. citizen of Turkish descent were killed on May 31 after Israeli commandos raided one of six aid ships in a flotilla trying to breach the embargo. Israel and Egypt loosened restrictions on Gaza following international criticism of the operation.
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