The Spanish ship Open Arms left Cyprus on Tuesday with 200 tonnes of food desperately needed for Gaza, which the UN says is on the brink of famine.
Videos posted online show a crane moving crates from the barge to lorries waiting on a purpose-built jetty. It marks the start of a trial to see if sea deliveries are effective, after air and land deliveries proved difficult. World Central Kitchen (WCK), which supplied the food, carried out the mission in co-operation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to deliver the barge’s cargo of rice, flour, legumes, canned vegetables and canned proteins.
Gaza has no functioning port, so a jetty stemming from the shoreline was built by WCK’s team. How the food will be distributed in Gaza remains unclear. WCK’s founder, celebrity chef José Andrés, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that all the food aid from the barge had been loaded into 12 lorries. “We did it!” he wrote, adding that this was a test to see if they could bring even more aid in the next shipment – up to “thousands of tons a week”.
In a statement, Israel said the Open Arms vessel and its cargo were inspected in Cyprus, and that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops had been deployed to secure the shoreline.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68581090
Comment: I was curious about the jetty that Chef José Andrés was building to receive this barge. It was built from rubble. Quite a pragmatic solution. Work with what you got and get it done now. As this first barge was being unloaded, a second barge is being loaded in Larnaca. “Among the hundreds of tons of aid are pallets of dates, which hold spiritual significance during Ramadan.” WCK is also shipping a crane that will allow them to get the aid on shore and onto trucks quicker. It’s not the hundreds of trucks a day needed to feed Gaza, but it can be quickly replicated elsewhere in Gaza. Hell of a feat in my opinion.
I see the IDF is securing the beach as well as inspecting the cargo at Larnaca. I’m pretty sure it will be the same on the beach for the US built floating pier. Not sure if or how inspections will be handled.
TTG
Hasn’t the UAE been involved in the war in Yemen, with subsequent famine, to include siezing an island from them? But Gaza now…. how many were employed in Dubai or other emirates?
“The jetty was built from children’s skulls. Practical.”
– Overheard.
F&L,
What was overheard was propagandistic tripe. WCK built the jetty with rubble created when Israel bombed the hell out of Gazan apartment buildings. There are videos of the massive pieces of rubble being moved into place. The IDF only watched.
Go with what you’ve got. And then use it to make a difference. Good for WCK!
TTG: “Not sure if or how inspections will be handled.”
The IDF will inspect the cargo at Cyprus prior to embarkation.
That avoids the bad optics of piles of aid being dumped into the water because the IDF won’t allow it onshore.
This is good news. I had seen photos of The IDF intermingled with WCK workers building the pier and wrongly assumed that the workers were IDF personnel. So WCK did the building and IDF provides the security. Exactly as it should be. The IDF, locals and a foreign NGO working together to efficiently solve problems and help Palestinians. Good that the inspections are being done in Cyprus. Diminishes the possibility of Hamas propaganda photos and stories about the IDF interfering with food delivery.
But how long until Hamas sabotages this remarkable operation?
Kudos to this guy for delivering some aid in spite of everything, he obviously studied at the school of FIDO. It seems security for the floating pier on the beach is still a WIP and that PMC’s are being considered.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-weighs-private-security-contractors-protect-gaza-aid-shipments-rcna143493
Great when a plan comes together
Honestly do you really think anyone take this aid smoke screen seriously as anything other than as a distraction like the air drops?
200 tons every now and then at the convenience of Israel is NOTHING. It’s just 10 truck loads and you got 100’s of truck waiting in the Sinai to enter.
This is the real world of what Israel and their supporters stand for.
https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1156872/
Mass death from starvation. There is a reason Israel is going on trial for genocide. Putting make-up on this AID-pig just makes you a supporter.
Poul
Agreed. The guy driving this effort is worthy of praise, but none of this ludicrous air drop and pier charade should be necessary. The trucks are sat there simply because Biden refuses to stand up to Netanyahu. Bibi is yanking Biden’s chain and the whole world clearly sees America’s humiliation. And if Walrus is right we ain’t seen nothing yet.