Britain to join US, other partners in opening maritime corridor to deliver aid to Gaza

'We continue to urge Israel to allow more trucks into Gaza as the fastest way to get aid to those who need it,' says David Cameron

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Britain will join the US and other international partners to open a maritime corridor to "deliver aid directly to Gaza," the foreign secretary announced Friday.

"Alongside the US, the UK and partners have announced we will open a maritime corridor to deliver aid directly to Gaza," said David Cameron, stressing that the 2 million people in the besieged Palestinian enclave are in "desperate humanitarian need."

On Tuesday, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the US is working to open up a maritime corridor to deliver humanitarian aid to the strip, and President Joe Biden later said they would set up a floating pier off the coast of the enclave.

Italy also said it will join an initiative to create a humanitarian maritime corridor.

"We continue to urge Israel to allow more trucks into Gaza as the fastest way to get aid to those who need it," added Cameron.

Grant Shapps, the British defense secretary, also said they are working with allies to open the corridor in a bid to "accelerate" the delivery.

"Our Armed Forces in the region are already supporting aid deliveries by land & air and we will continue to do all we can to get aid to those in need," he added on X.

Israel has waged a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed over 30,800 people and injured more than 72,000 others with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

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