First aid shipment to Gaza departs from Cyprus port

An injured man is transferred to a hospital in the southern

Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Dec. 8, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

The humanitarian corridor from Cyprus to Gaza was inaugurated with the sailing of a ship loaded with 80 tons of aid for the conflict-beleaguered Gaza residents, state broadcaster CyBC reported on Monday.

According to the CyBC report, the ship, a British shallow draft vessel, departed from the southeastern port of Larnaca on Saturday.

It added that the ship was escorted by British navy warships and was headed for an Israeli port.

CyBC reported that Israel gave its approval for the dispatch of the aid cargo after the arrival of a second team of Israeli technocrats who follow the procedures of scrutinizing and loading the aid.

Israel has said that it has opened a second aid corridor in the northern part of Gaza.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday that official announcements on the inauguration of the aid corridor could be made soon.

He also said that he was undertaking another initiative for the cooperation of countries in the region for Gaza.

The CyBC report said the aid sent to Gaza is comprised mostly of tents donated by Britain, to which several tons of aid offered by Cyprus were added.