Ships leave Cyprus with second round of aid for Gaza
A three-ship convoy the Cypriot port of Larnaca on Saturday with 400 tonnes of food and other supplies as concerns about hunger in the territory soar.
The vessels and a barge were carrying ready-to-eat items like rice, pasta, flour, legumes, canned vegetables and proteins.
Also on board were dates, which are traditionally eaten to break the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
US charity World Central Kitchen said the ship, named Jennifer, was due to follow the inaugural voyage of the Cyprus-Gaza sea route earlier this month by the Open Arms vessel that delivered 200 tonnes of food and water.
The United Nations and partners have warned that famine could occur in devastated, largely isolated northern Gaza as early as this month.
Humanitarian officials say deliveries by sea and air are not enough and that Israel must allow far more aid by road.
The top UN court has ordered Israel to open more land crossings and take other measures to address the humanitarian crisis.
The fighting has displaced over 80 per cent of Gaza’s population and pushed hundreds of thousands to the brink of famine, the UN and international aid agencies say.
Israel’s military said it continued to strike dozens of targets in Gaza, days after the United Nations Security Council issued its first demand for a cease-fire.
During an airdrop on Friday, the US military said it had released over 100 thousand pounds of aid that day (over 45 thousand kilos) and almost a million pounds overall (453 thousand kilos) as part of a multi-country effort.