Joint Statement from the European Commission, the Republic of
Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the
United States Endorsing the Activation of a Maritime Corridor to
Deliver Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza:
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with innocent
Palestinian families and children desperate for basic
necessities. That is why today, the European Commission,
Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the Republic of Cyprus,
the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United
States announce our intent to open a maritime corridor to deliver
much-needed additional amounts of humanitarian assistance by sea.
Cyprus’ leadership in establishing the Amalthea Initiative—which
outlines a mechanism for securely shipping aid from Cyprus to
Gaza via sea—was integral to enabling this joint effort to launch
a maritime corridor. Together, our nations intend to build
on this model to deliver significant additional aid by sea,
working in coordination with UN Senior Humanitarian and
Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag — who is charged
with facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and verifying the
flow of aid into Gaza under UN Security Council Resolution
2720. The dedicated efforts of the UAE to mobilize support
for the Initiative will result in the initial shipment of food by
sea to the people of Gaza.
Cyprus will soon convene senior officials to discuss how we can
accelerate this maritime channel supporting those in need,
supplementing land and air routes, including from Egypt and
Jordan. The United States announced an emergency mission
led by the U.S. military to establish a temporary pier in Gaza,
in coordination with humanitarian partners and other countries,
to enable the delivery of significant quantities of assistance by
sea. These efforts will be closely coordinated with the
Government of Israel.
The delivery of humanitarian assistance directly to Gaza by sea
will be complex, and our nations will continue to assess and
adjust our efforts to ensure we deliver aid as effectively as
possible. This maritime corridor can—and must—be part of a
sustained effort to increase the flow of humanitarian aid and
commercial commodities into Gaza through all possible
routes. We will continue to work with Israel to expand
deliveries by land, insisting that it facilitate more routes and
open additional crossings to get more aid to more people.
We affirm that protecting civilian lives is a key element of
international humanitarian law that must be respected. And
together, we must all do more to ensure aid gets to people who
desperately need it.
