DUBAI — The
European Commission, United States, United Kingdom, Cyprus, United Arab
Emirates, and Qatar jointly called on Israel on Wednesday to open additional
crossings to enable the delivery of more aid to Gaza. This came during a
meeting of American, European, British, Cypriot, Emirati, and Qatari ministers
discussing enhancing plans to open a maritime corridor to Gaza.
اضافة اعلان
The EU
Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, stated on social media:
"While we support the maritime corridor to Cyprus, we call on Israel to
open additional crossings to deliver more aid to Gaza, including the north, and
to ease restrictions,” Al-Mamlaka TV reported.
The joint
statement emphasized that "there is no real alternative to land routes
through Egypt and Jordan and entry points from Israel to Gaza for the
widespread delivery of aid."
Ministers
stressed that opening the Ashdod port for humanitarian aid would be a welcome
and crucial addition to the corridor.
Ministers committed
to continuing their participation and sending senior officials to Cyprus during
the week starting March 18 for comprehensive briefings on continuing to
activate the corridor, including American military planning efforts to
establish a temporary pier capable of receiving large quantities of
humanitarian aid.
Senior
officials will also discuss the possibility of establishing a joint fund to
support the maritime corridor and coordinate material and financial
contributions for its sustainability.
Ministers
reiterated that this maritime corridor can - and should - be part of a
continuous effort to increase the flow of humanitarian aid and goods to Gaza
through all possible means, including expanded land routes, continued air
delivery, and close cooperation with Coordinator Sigrid Kaag.
Ministers
also stressed the necessity for Israel to open additional crossings to enable
more aid to reach Gaza, including the north, and to deliver it to Gaza, easing
comprehensive customs restrictions to facilitate the increasing flow of
life-saving humanitarian aid.
UAE Foreign
Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed affirmed that the worsening humanitarian
crisis in Gaza requires adopting a multinational cooperative approach to
mitigate its impact on civilians in the sector and diligently seek to open
humanitarian corridors to transport humanitarian aid at a sufficient and
sustainable pace without obstacles.
He pointed
out the importance of building on the "Amalthia" initiative recently
announced by Cyprus, which outlines a secure mechanism for shipping aid from
Cyprus to Gaza via the sea, constituting an essential part in activating joint
efforts to launch this maritime corridor. He reaffirmed the UAE's steadfast
commitment to mobilize international support for the maritime corridor
initiative, as well as cooperation with its partners in the international
community to enhance the humanitarian response provided to civilians in Gaza,
as reported by the Emirates News Agency.
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