Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Palestinian Ministry of Health: Two were martyred in Israeli shelling that targeted a besieged house in the town of Qabatiya in Jenin
At least 68 dead in migrant shipwreck off Yemen: IOM
Trump: We want to feed the people in Gaza, we do not want them to starve.
US President Donald Trump: We will impose sanctions on Russia if it does not end the war on Ukraine.
Israeli media: Polls show that 52% oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while only 29% support him.
Israeli media: 32% of Americans still support "Israel's" war on Hamas, while 60% oppose it.
Israeli media: Core US support for "Israel" hits its lowest, while support for Palestine reaches its highest levels.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reports martyrs, injuries in Israeli bombardment of home in Heker al-Jame area in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
Al-Quds Governorate: Today, the spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque began in a public and dangerous manner, and we warn of a religious war in the region
The Ministry of Health in Gaza: This brings the total number of victims of famine and malnutrition to 175, including 93 children

EU to open sea corridor for Gaza aid amid Palestinian doubt

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 8 Mar 2024 23:44
6 Min Read

The EU Commission President claims that the pilot delivery is scheduled to depart on Saturday but did not specify the destination or location for loading and unloading the shipments.

  • x
  • An aerial view of mourners looking on as medics prepare the 47 bodies for mass reburial amid the ongoing Israeli genocide and starvation war in Gaza ( SAID KHATIB / AFP)
    An aerial view of mourners looking on as medics prepare the 47 bodies for mass reburial amid the ongoing Israeli genocide and starvation war in Gaza (SAID KHATIB/AFP)

The EU has declared the initiation of a maritime passage this weekend to transport humanitarian assistance from Cyprus to Gaza, allegedly aiming to prevent a famine that is already causing casualties.

“We are now very close to the opening of the corridor, hopefully this Sunday. And I’m very glad to see that an initial pilot operation will be launched today,” the EU Commission President, Ursula Von der Leyen, informed reporters following a visit to the harbor facilities at the Cypriot port of Larnaca, which serves as the starting point for the aid shipments.

A trial shipment is reportedly anticipated to depart on Saturday, utilizing a vessel managed by the Spanish search and rescue organization Open Arms, transporting food supplied by the charitable organization World Central Kitchen.

“Today we are facing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and we stand by the innocent civilians in Palestine,” Von der Leyen claimed.

The EU alleged that the deliveries would directly reach Gaza, located 210 nautical miles away. However, details regarding the specific landing or unloading locations and the distribution process from the landing point were not provided. Additionally, the connection between these weekend shipments and the recently announced US plan by Joe Biden on Thursday night to construct a floating dock off the Gaza shore in the coming weeks for "receiving aid shipments" from Cyprus remains unclear.

Von der Leyen did not reference the US plan during her statements in Larnaca, and the US president did not discuss the upcoming deliveries scheduled for this weekend in his State of the Union address to Congress.

On Friday, the US, EU, and other participating nations officially declared their support for the maritime aid corridor. This initiative, known as the Amalthea Initiative, has been under development by Cyprus since November and details a secure mechanism for transporting shipments to Gaza.
 
“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,” the statement said, inked by the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the US. 
 
The statement acknowledged Biden's announcement of a floating pier but didn't clarify its coordination with the group's collective efforts. Aid workers have criticized the US pier proposal, highlighting its delayed operational timeframe, which poses a significant risk during a famine. They also observed that the plan fails to address ongoing challenges related to distribution and security that currently impede aid deliveries.

It's noteworthy that the European Union and the United States have been the main allies of "Israel" in its ongoing genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza. Both entities possess the potential to exert pressure on "Israel", calling for an immediate ceasefire and the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid. Palestinians have expressed doubt regarding the EU and US plans, fearing that such moves could be a prelude to international military presence on Palestinian soil and to the expulsion of Palestinians under different pretexts. 

PFLP warns of suspicious US plan for Gaza pier

Related News

Cholera devastates Darfur region amid conflict, US aid cuts

US uses tariffs to strongarm India on Russia ties

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) has issued a warning against the US plan to establish a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza for "transporting aid to the sector."

The movement emphasized that the US plan is "suspicious and dubious" and goes beyond the goal of aiding the Palestinian people, opening the door to executing other alarming objectives, such as forced displacement plans under humanitarian and other pretexts.

It also considered the issuance of instructions by the US President to establish the port an attempt to appease public opinion in the United States and part of his electoral propaganda at a time when there had been no real pressure exerted to force the occupation to stop the starvation war or its crimes against the Palestinian people or to facilitate the entry of convoys into the Gaza Strip.

Furthermore, the PFLP affirmed that the step would be approached with caution and skepticism, especially given the behavior and positions of the US administration, its actions against the Palestinians, and its bias toward the occupation.

It regarded the attempts to portray this step as evidence of a rift between the US administration and the occupying entity as inaccurate, emphasizing the partnership between the two sides in aggression, genocide, and starvation.

The movement further questioned the significance of the step at a time when the United States could effectively impose aid entry through alternative means, such as compelling the opening of border crossings and delivering assistance via land routes through international institutions, particularly the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
 
It emphasized that the alternative to these suspicious plans was to press for the cessation of aggression and the complete withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip. This includes the return of the forcibly displaced to their areas and homes, as well as the opening of crossings to allow the entry of aid without restriction or conditions and its distribution across the Strip.

"Any actions beyond those aforementioned are futile, dubious, and unwelcomed," it added.

PFLP concluded its statement by affirming that the Resistance will remain vigilant and will confront any "suspicious US plans or any other actions that might compel Palestinians to be expelled to liquidate the Palestinian cause."

It further confirmed that the US presence would be a legitimate target for the Resistance.

Read next: Biden's new port plan won't bring relief to Gaza: Economist

  • United States
  • war on Gaza
  • Starvation
  • Gaza aid
  • Gaza genocide
  • famine
  • Israeli occupation
  • European Union
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

A rescued crew member from the ETERNITY C vessel in a video released by the Yemeni Armed Forces on July 28, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen Navy reveals fate of targeted Eternity C ship crew

  • Politics
  • 28 Jul 2025
An Israeli tank explodes following an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, Occupied Palestine, undated (Al-Qassam Military Media)

Al-Qassam strikes Israeli vehicles in Gaza, inflicts casualties

  • Politics
  • 30 Jul 2025
UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

  • Politics
  • 1 Aug 2025
Protesters chant anti-Israeli slogans as they carry a banner that reads:" Freedom for Palestine, Alliance stop the war," during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza, outside the Israeli embassy, in Athens, Monday, June 9, 2025 (AP)

Athens mayor slams Israeli ambassador over Gaza war, graffiti claim

  • Politics
  • 3 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, takes part in a parade as he celebrates a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli regime in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, January 19, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Al-Qassam: We’ll allow aid to Israeli captives if Gaza siege ends

Freed Lebanese freedom fighter Georges Abdallah during an interview on Al Mayadeen, which aired on Sunday, August 3, 2025 (Al Mayadeen screengrab)
Politics

Exclusive: Resistance key to building state, Georges Abdallah says

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres gives a statement about the situation in Gaza at UN headquarters, Friday, June 27, 2025 (AP)
Politics

UN warns Gaza faces water crisis, looming famine under Israeli siege

Israeli soldiers drive their armored personnel carrier along the Gaza Strip, in southern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ex-Israeli general says Gaza starvation campaign isolated 'Israel'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS