Israel asks Cyprus to consider port for Gaza

DW: Israel’s defense minister has said the proposal aims to “change the reality in the Gaza Strip.” For years, the coastal enclave has been under a naval blockade, preventing it from receiving goods by water.

The Cypriot government on Tuesday said Israel has requested it examine the possibility of building a port facility for Gaza-destined goods to pass through.

Such a facility would provide a new way for goods to make it to the Gaza Strip, which is under a blockade by Israel and Egypt.

Streamlining deliveries

• Under the proposal, a special port would be constructed in Cyprus.
• The port would be used by cargo ships carrying Gaza-bound goods.
• It would be checked with the help of an Israeli monitoring mechanism in order to prevent illegal goods from entering the enclave, including arms.
• The goods would be transported directly to Gaza by a ferry. Currently, Gaza-bound goods are taken across two land crossings from Israel.