"The Amalthia journey is one of hope and humanity, and it has only just began. The first ship in the context of the Cyprus Maritime Corridor Initiative for humanitarian aid to Gaza has sailed. It is a lifeline to civilians," the president said on X.
Earlier in the day, the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported that the Open Arms aid ship had left the port of Larnaca carrying 200 tonnes of humanitarian aid as part of a Cypriot-led Amalthea Initiative.
The ship is expected to reach its destination in two days, the news agency reported.
Last week, the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States announced the activation of the maritime corridor for humanitarian assistance delivery to Gaza. The Israeli government welcomed Cyprus' initiative, vowing to help facilitate aid transfers to the region.
In November 2023, Christodoulides unveiled the details of his plan to establish a sea corridor for direct humanitarian aid shipments to the Gaza Strip. The president suggested that the operational headquarters be located in the Cypriot city of Larnaca, home to a major Mediterranean port which has the capacity to store about 100,000 tonnes of aid for Gaza.
The aid will be collected and checked by customs officers in Larnaca, Christodoulides said. The cargo vessels carrying the aid should be convoyed by military ships, he added. The vessels will be unloaded on the southwestern bank of the Gaza Strip and then handed over to Palestinian civil authorities.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. At least 31,100 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.
On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.