Aid Ship Sets Sail for Gaza Amid Humanitarian Crisis

The ship, carrying 200 tons of food, marks a new effort to deliver aid via sea as the Israel-Hamas war leaves hundreds of thousands starving.

An aid ship carrying 200 tons of food has set sail for Gaza from Cyprus, marking a pilot program for a new sea corridor aimed at alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has left hundreds of thousands facing starvation.
The United States plans to construct a sea bridge near Gaza to facilitate aid delivery, although it will take several weeks to become operational. Meanwhile, the international community expresses frustration over the difficulty of delivering aid by road due to Israeli restrictions and ongoing hostilities.
The war, which began with a surprise attack by Hamas on October 7, has resulted in over 30,000 Palestinian deaths and displaced most of Gaza's 2.3 million population. A quarter of Gaza's population is now starving, with many unable to afford or find sufficient food.
Efforts to broker a ceasefire and hostage release ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan have stalled, as Hamas demands guarantees for ending the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to continue the offensive until Hamas is dismantled.
The aid delivery by sea is supported by the European Union, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates, among others. The initiative aims to provide a more systematic and increased volume of aid to Gaza, with the first ship authorized to deliver aid directly to Gaza since 2005.