The Open Arms vessel carrying humanitarian aid is en route from Cyprus to the Gaza Strip. AFP
“Egypt appreciates and welcomes every effort aimed at alleviating human suffering for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” the ministry’s spokesman, Ahmed Abu Zeid, said in a statement on Saturday.
Earlier on Saturday, Open Arms, which set sail from Cyprus on Tuesday towing a barge from the Spanish charity of the same name, offloaded 200 tons of food for Gazans threatened with famine after more than five months of an Israeli blockade on the war-torn strip.
World Central Kitchen, a US charity working with Open Arms, said it was readying another boat with supplies of beans, canned meat, flour, rice, and dates in the Cypriot port of Larnaca but stressed the need for more road access to bring aid into Gaza.
Abu Zeid expressed appreciation for the international and regional parties that played a role in facilitating the arrival of aid through the sea corridor.
He said Egypt is pressing ahead with efforts to ensure the delivery of urgent aid to Gaza through the Rafah crossing and via airdrops to alleviate the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the strip.
Additionally, he called upon Israel to eliminate the obstacles and restrictions it has put in place to hinder the entry of aid through land ports, urging the operation of all remaining crossings to facilitate the inflow of more assistance.
Cairo has repeatedly accused Tel Aviv of deliberately impeding aid deliveries to Gaza through its extremely slow inspection measures.
On Thursday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry said Thursday that Israel should take responsibility for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza by opening the six crossings under its control to allow sufficient aid to flow into the strip.
Egypt has been delivering aid via ground crossings to the 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza under Israeli bombardment and blockade since 7 October.
As of February, Egypt has provided 100,000 tons out of the 130,000 tons of humanitarian aid delivered to people in Gaza, according to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.
Recently, Egypt has conducted several airdrops of humanitarian assistance to the areas that lack necessities due to the ongoing military operations.
International aid organizations have warned that the Israeli blockade on food, medicine, and fuel is causing near-starvation conditions in the strip.
At least 576,000 people in the strip, one-quarter of the population, are on the brink of famine, according to a UN official.
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