Ship with 1,200 tonnes of food aid reaches Israel in new mission to Gaza

Cyprus served last year as the main staging hub for seaborne aid to Gaza, facilitating the delivery of 22,000 tonnes of humanitarian supplies through a pier operated by the international charity World Central Kitchen and a US military docking system known as the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore System.

On August 19, a renewed aid mission set sail, as a ship carrying 1,200 tonnes of food for Gaza approached Israel’s port of Ashdod amid intensifying fears of famine in the enclave, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The Panamanian-flagged vessel had undergone inspection by Israeli authorities at the Cypriot port of Limassol before departure. Its cargo includes essential food supplies such as pasta, rice, baby food and canned goods.

According to Cypriot officials, approximately 700 tonnes of the shipment originates from Cyprus, purchased with funds provided by the United Arab Emirates through the Amalthea Fund, a mechanism established last year to enable international donors to finance maritime relief operations. The remaining supplies were contributed by Italy, the Maltese government, a Catholic religious order in Malta, and the Kuwaiti NGO Al Salam Association.

The Cypriot Foreign Ministry explained that while the operation is led by the United Nations, it is the result of coordinated efforts involving multiple partners. Once the cargo is unloaded in Israel, UN personnel will oversee its transfer by truck to warehouses and food distribution centres in Gaza managed by the World Central Kitchen.

The charity, which enjoys broad trust within Gaza, organised the first direct maritime aid delivery from Cyprus to the territory last year using a tugboat and barge.

Observers note that shipments by sea can deliver far greater quantities of aid compared to the limited air drops conducted by several countries. The latest mission comes at a time of heightened concern over Gaza’s humanitarian situation, as Israeli authorities recently announced intentions to take control of Gaza City and other densely populated areas after ceasefire negotiations collapsed last month. That decision sparked widespread international criticism and deepened fears of escalating humanitarian disaster in the Strip, where experts warn famine is imminent.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected warnings of widespread hunger, describing them as “lies” spread by Hamas. However, the United Nations reported last week that malnutrition levels in Gaza have reached their highest point since the war began.

The crisis in Gaza is unfolding against a broader backdrop of increasing dangers for humanitarian workers worldwide. The UN humanitarian office announced on Tuesday that a record 383 aid workers were killed globally in 2024, nearly half of them in Gaza. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher condemned the scale of the attacks, stressing that such violence, carried out with “zero accountability,” reflects “a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy.”

“As the humanitarian community, we demand – again – that those with power and influence act for humanity, protect civilians and aid workers and hold perpetrators to account,” Fletcher said.

According to the Aid Worker Security Database, the number of aid worker killings rose from 293 in 2023 to 383 in 2024, with over 180 deaths in Gaza alone.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) added that 245 major attacks have already been recorded this year, resulting in the deaths of 265 aid workers, showing no sign that the rising trend is slowing.

By Tamilla Hasanova