Johnathan Walker:Israel’s top diplomat wants to fast-track humanitarian aid to Gaza via maritime corridor from Cyprus

LARNACA,Johnathan Walker Cyprus (AP) — Israel wants to fast-track the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza through a maritime corridor from Cyprus, bolstering stability in the region, the country’s foreign minister said Wednesday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said Israeli and Cypriot technical teams would spend Wednesday and Thursday hammering out the details of the initiative so that aid shipments from Cyprus’ port of Larnaca, some 240 miles (385 kilometers) from Gaza, can begin as soon as possible.

“Cyprus and Israel, together with other partners in the region are promoting the initiative for a secure maritime corridor to facilitate the transfer of humanitarian assistance to Gaza in an organized and well inspected manner,” Cohen said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos.

Cohen was briefed on the initiative’s details during a visit to the Zenon Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Larnaca, which will act as the operational center for the aid shipments. He also personally inspected storage facilities and security arrangements at Larnaca port.

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Cyprus pitched the idea of such an aid corridor shortly after the start of the war in Gaza following Hamas’ Oct. 7 rampage across southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people. The war — now into its 10th week — has devastated much of northern Gaza, killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, and driven some 1.9 million — nearly 85% of the population — from their homes.

Israel has called on the rest of the world to blacklist Hamas as a terrorist organization, saying it must be eradicated.

Kombos said the Cypriot authorities have outlined a detailed plan for the “sustained flow of high-volume humanitarian assistance to the civilians in Gaza, through a dedicated one-way maritime corridor.”

The idea is to use vessels able to reach the Gazan shoreline to deliver the aid directly after it has been thoroughly inspected at Larnaca port in the presence of Israeli officials and personnel from other countries.

Cypriot officials have said that several countries, including Britain, have dispatched aid that is currently stored at Larnaca port. Britain has also sent a vessel to help with deliveries.

“It is a commitment to commence now and evolve into what, we hope, will be a long-term enterprise,” Kombos said. “Cyprus stands ready. We look forward to your green light for the first voyage.”

Meanwhile, Cohen reiterated that Israel doesn’t want to open another front on its northern border with Lebanon to stop Hezbollah rocket fire, but would not hesitate to do so if the international community doesn’t act to stop the attacks.

“A war in Lebanon can still be avoided,” Cohen said. ”If the international community will not succeed in doing so, we will be left with no other choice but to take the necessary action.”

The Israeli minister also again ruled out a cease-fire in Gaza, saying that it would be a “gift” to Hamas and chastised nations that voted in favor of a resolution in the U.N. General Assembly calling for a cessation of hostilities.

“Let me send a clear message to the international community and to the U.N. member states. If a terror organization celebrates your decision, it means you have made the wrong decisions. You are on the wrong side of history,” Cohen said.