The European Commission president said a maritime corridor to Gaza could be operational as soon as this weekend, part of an international effort to deliver humanitarian relief to the besieged territory.
Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Cyprus that a vessel belonging to the Spanish aid group Open Arms is ready to make a pilot voyage to test the corridor. The ship is at Cyprus’ port of Larnaca, waiting for permission to deliver food aid from a U.S. charity, World Central Kitchen.
“We are launching this Cyprus maritime corridor together, the European Union, the United Arab Emirates and the United States,” von der Leyen said after visiting facilities at the port.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with innocent Palestinian families and children desperate for basic needs,” she said.
The comments come a day after U.S. President Joe Biden said in his annual State of the Union address that the U.S. military would establish a “temporary pier” off the coast of Gaza to help deliver aid to the region.
U.S. military officials say it will take about 60 days to build the pier.
The Associated Press reports that World Central Kitchen is also constructing a pier to receive aid, including from the vessel in Cyprus.
When asked Friday if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needed to do more to let relief into Gaza, Biden told reporters, “Yes, he does.”
Biden was caught on a hot mic Thursday night saying that he and the Israeli leader will need to have a “come to Jesus meeting.”
The comments by Biden came when he was speaking to Democratic Senator Michael Bennet on the floor of the House after the State of the Union address.
Bennet urged Biden to keep pressing Netanyahu to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Using Netanyahu’s nickname, Biden said, “I told him, ‘Bibi, and don’t repeat this, but you and I are going to have a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting.'”
Senior U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag told reporters Friday the U.N. welcomes the plan for a maritime corridor. But she noted that sea corridors and air drops of aid are not a substitute for the delivery of lifesaving aid via trucks over land.
She said the maritime plan, nevertheless, will provide very important help.
Meanwhile, medical personnel and eyewitnesses reported Friday that a humanitarian aid drop killed five people at the Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza after the parachute malfunctioned and the parcel hit a residential area.
The head of emergency care at Gaza City’s Al Shifa Medical Complex, Muhammad Al-Sheikh, confirmed the deaths.
A U.S. defense official told CBS News an initial review indicated the U.S. airdrop was not responsible for the fatalities on the ground but said that further investigation was required.
Also Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it is up to Hamas whether a cease-fire takes place in Gaza in the near future.
Speaking ahead of talks in Washington with a delegation from Turkey, Blinken said the U.S. is continuing to work toward a cease-fire in Gaza, despite reports Thursday that Hamas negotiators had left talks in Cairo.
“In this moment, in this hour, we’re also intensely focused on seeing if we can get a cease-fire,” Blinken told reporters, “And there, the issue is Hamas. The issue is whether Hamas will decide or not to have a cease-fire that would benefit everyone. The ball is in their court. We’re working intensely on it.”
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.