Cyprus preparing to start shipping humanitarian aid to Gaza

The island country of Cyprus is preparing to start shipping large quantities of humanitarian aid across the Mediterranean Sea to the Gaza Strip, according to the Associated Press. 

A spokesman for Cyprus’ government said Tuesday that a team of technical experts from Israel is visiting the island nation to inspect infrastructure and facilities that will be used in the effort, once conditions on the ground in Gaza allow for it. 

Constantinos Letymbiotis said the Israeli team’s visit Tuesday follows two earlier trips that Cypriot officials made to Israel to brief authorities there about the Cypriot initiative. 

An initial shipment is already in storage at Larnaca port, from where ships will set sail for Gaza some 242 miles away. 

The AP reports that officials from Israel and elsewhere will be on hand to monitor as Cypriot customs agents inspect the aid to ensure that nothing is shipped to Gaza that could be weaponized by Hamas to use against Israel.