NICOSIA – Humanitarian aid for Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip during Israel’s invasion, amid the hunt for Hamas terrorists responsible for the deaths of more than 1200 Israelis, is set to be delivered via an American ship departing from Cyprus.

The aid will be directed to a pier constructed in the enclave by the United States, which has urged Israel to cease targeting civilians during the conflict, with casualties nearing 35,000 and sparking pro-Palestinian protests globally.

Containers, some marked as aid from the United Arab Emirates, are being loaded onto the U.S.-flagged Sagamore at the port of Larnaca. These efforts intensified after Israeli soldiers advanced into Rafah, near the Egyptian border. Konstantinos Letymbiotis, a spokesperson for the Cyprus government, confirmed the completion of a U.S. jetty designated for aid shipments to Gaza, stating, “We are currently finalizing the loading of aid onto a U.S. vessel in Larnaca. Once the platform is in place, this phase of the shipment process can begin,” as reported by Reuters.

Israel’s military offensive against Hamas, initiated in response to terrorist attacks on Israel starting October 7, 2023, inflicted severe devastation on Gaza, home to 2.3 million people. A United Nations official has warned of famine due to Israel’s blockade preventing essential humanitarian aid, particularly food, fuel, and medicine, from entering the territory. In March, Cyprus opened a sea corridor to directly ship aid to Gaza, bypassing disruptions caused by land border closures and Israeli military operations.

The U.S.-based charity World Food Kitchen (WCK) previously utilized this route twice before seven of its workers were killed in an Israeli airstrike on April 1. Due to Gaza’s lack of port infrastructure, the U.S. constructed a custom offshore jetty to receive aid shipments.

Upon arrival, the aid will be transferred to U.S. military logistics support vessels and then to a causeway for loading onto trucks for further distribution. U.S. officials have emphasized Cyprus’s role as a conduit for international aid supplies.