FALCON POWERS – Cyprus witnessed the loading of a humanitarian aid ship bound for Gaza on Wednesday, in what may be the first shipment to enter the besieged territory via an American-built pier, designed to expedite the delivery of supplies.
Containers were loaded onto the US-flagged vessel, Sajamor, which docked at the port of Larnaca on Wednesday. Some containers were reported to contain aid from the United Arab Emirates. Constantinos Kostantinou, spokesperson for the Cypriot government, stated that the construction of an American pier dedicated to handling aid shipments to Gaza has been completed.
He added, “We are currently loading aid onto an American ship in Larnaca, and once the completion of the pier is announced, this aspect of the operation [the shipment] can be launched.”
The departure date of the vessel has not been clarified.
The Israeli military campaign against the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) following the group’s attack on Israel on October 7th led to the destruction of Gaza, with relief agencies warning of an impending famine.
Cyprus opened a maritime corridor in March to directly ship aid to Gaza after the overland routes were disrupted due to Israeli military operations and border closures.
The US-based charity organization, World Central Kitchen, used the sea route twice before seven of its staff members were killed in an Israeli airstrike on April 1st.
Gaza lacks the necessary coastal infrastructure, prompting the United States to construct a dedicated seaport for aid shipments.
US officials stated that the aid will be offloaded onto US military logistics support vessels upon arrival, before being transferred to a bridge where it will be loaded onto trucks for delivery.
