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Today, Friday, the first aid ship to reach the Gaza Strip began unloading via the sea corridor from the port of Larnaca in Cyprus.
A spokeswoman for the World Center Kitchen confirmed that about 200 tons of aid had begun to be unloaded after the Open Arms ship stopped near a temporary pier on the coast of Gaza.
Al Jazeera's correspondent said that the cargo, which includes foods such as rice, flour, legumes, and canned vegetables, will be lowered into small boats and transported to the shore under the supervision of international institutions.
Anatolia News Agency quoted eyewitnesses as saying that small boats began unloading the ship's cargo and transporting it towards the shore of Gaza City.
The witnesses said that the ship was standing hundreds of meters from the Gaza coast, opposite the new pier being constructed on the coast of the Al-Baidar area, southwest of the city, explaining that the pier paving work had not yet been completed.
The owner of World Center Kitchen, Jose Andres, confirmed on the “X” platform that the ship had reached the shores of Gaza, and published a video clip showing the ship and its cargo.
For its part, the Israeli army said in a statement that its forces were deployed to secure the area where the aid was being unloaded, noting that the ship had undergone a full security inspection.
A second aid ship is being prepared in the Cypriot port of Larnaca, scheduled to transport 300 tons of food, and no date has been set for its departure to Gaza.
The United States recently announced its intention to establish a dock on the Gaza coast through two sea lanes from Cyprus to transport aid by sea in light of the severe food shortage, which has led to the spread of famine, especially in the northern Gaza Strip, according to international organizations.
The United Nations, the United States, and other Western countries stressed that transporting aid by sea to Gaza cannot be an alternative to delivering it through land ports.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies