Officials from 36 countries and U.N. agencies gathered in Cyprus on Thursday to discuss how to expedite aid to besieged Palestinians in Gaza via a sea route launched last week.
Thursday's gathering is being attended by Sigrid Kaag, the U.N.'s senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, as well as Curtis Ried, chief of staff of the U.S. National Security Council.
Under an agreement hammered out with Israel, cargoes can undergo security inspections in Cyprus by a team including Israel, eliminating the need for screenings at its final offloading point to remove potential hold-ups in aid deliveries. "We are discussing how we can max up operational capacity both in terms of departure and means of transport and also in relation to the reception and distribution methodology," said Constantinos Kombos, Cyprus's foreign minister.
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