This is a photo of the vessel belonging to Spain’s Open Arms aid group that will make a pilot voyage this weekend to test a sea corridor for delivering aid to Gaza.
Open Arms founder Oscar Camps said the ship is expected to depart on Saturday and will take two or three days to arrive in Gaza – although its exact arrival point has not been disclosed.
The ship is seen at Larnaca in Cyprus on Friday night, where it is being prepared to pull a barge loaded with 200 tonnes of rice and flour, according to The Associated Press.
Pontoon boats will then be used to get the barge to the pier for unloading.
The aid group has been planning the delivery for two months, long before the EU announced the safe corridor, Mr Camps said.
“I don’t know if nations plan to do something bigger, but we are doing everything we can” with the group’s €3m budget from private donations, he added.
The ship has been waiting in Larnaca for permission to deliver food from World Central Kitchen, a US charity founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres.
Israel said on Friday that it welcomes the maritime corridor but the ships using it will still need “a security check according to Israeli standards”.
The corridor is being launched by the European Union along with the US, United Arab Emirates and others.
Discover more from MEZIESBLOG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.