Aid Ship from Cyprus Reaches Israel with 1,200 Tons of Food for Gaza

A ship carrying 1,200 tons of food for the Gaza Strip arrived off Israel’s Ashdod port on Tuesday, part of renewed efforts to ease what experts warn is the territory’s slide into famine.

The Panamanian-flagged HENKE departed Limassol, Cyprus, on Monday after Israeli officials screened 52 containers of aid, including rice, pasta, canned goods, and baby food. Offloading is set to begin Wednesday, with the UN coordinating delivery to Gaza via storage facilities and food stations run by World Central Kitchen.

About 700 tons of the supplies were purchased in Cyprus with funds donated by the United Arab Emirates to the Amalthea Fund, while the rest comes from Italy, Malta, a Catholic religious order, and the Kuwaiti NGO Al Salam Association.

“The situation is beyond dire,” said Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos.

Cyprus previously served as a hub for 22,000 tons of seaborne aid, though that mission was suspended in July due to logistical and security hurdles. The new operation, led by the UN, aims to move larger quantities of food than recent international airdrops.

UN humanitarian chief Jorge Moreira da Silva called the shipment “a crucial step in alleviating suffering in Gaza,” urging the rapid, safe flow of aid.

The delivery comes a day after Hamas accepted a new ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, though Israel has yet to respond. Israeli leaders have announced plans to reoccupy Gaza City after talks broke down last month, raising fears of further humanitarian disaster.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected reports of famine as “lies” by Hamas, but the UN says hunger and malnutrition are at record levels. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports more than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 22-month war, while Israel cites around 1,200 deaths in Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault.