NOICOSIA – Hoping to accelerate food deliveries and humanitarian aid to Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip by Israel’s hunt for Hamas terrorists, officials from 36 countries and UN agencies met on Cyprus, which has become a conduit for getting supplies there.

The island is close to Gaza where it was earlier said as much as 25 percent of the 2.4 million people there were at risk of starving and delays in getting aid, with Israel wanting to check deliveries coming from the island for weapons.

The March 21 meeting included Sigrid Kaag, the UN’s Senior Humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, as well as Curtis Ried, Chief of Staff of the U.S. National Security Council, said Reuters.

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With famine approaching, agencies and countries are trying to find other routes to get aid to the Palestinians apart from land crossings but there’s no pier on Gaza, a charity sent sent aid from Cyprus making a landing jetty from rubble.

The United States said it would create a floating pier although it was said that it would take two months to construct and time is running out for many people without food or other basic necessities as they are under siege and locked in.

Under an agreement with Israel, cargoes can undergo  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, the news agency said.

“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 Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos.

Delegates would also discuss the creation of a fund to coordinate operational activities of the initiative, Kombos said, although it won’t be a donor’s conference and that more ships would be dispatched as soon as possible.

“We have to remember there are limitations in terms of the reception and distribution and the whole point is not to just stockpile aid here but about a quick turnaround so we are as efficient as possible,” he said.