Cyprus has dispatched 1,200 metric tons of humanitarian aid for Gaza by sea via Ashdod in Israel, its foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
The pre-screened cargo would be transferred without additional security checks on arrival in Ashdod, and with international humanitarian organization World Central Kitchen, the final contractor and distributor, the Cyprus Foreign Ministry said.
"The entire undertaking is under the auspices of the UN delivery mechanism," it said.
Cyprus and Malta contributed the bulk of aid, and there were contributions from organizations from the United States, Italy, the Sovereign Order of Malta, and Kuwait. The input of the United Arab Emirates to the operation was essential, Cyprus said.
Cyprus key to moving aid to Gaza from international community
The eastern Mediterranean island has been used to transit aid to Gaza in the past. Facilities on the island remained at the disposal of the international community as an additional humanitarian channel, the foreign ministry said.
Discussions are currently underway for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza after previous talks ended in deadlock in late July.
Hamas on Monday informed the Egyptian and Qatari mediators that it has agreed to the latest Gaza hostage-ceasefire proposal.
.The proposal would see the release of 10 living Israeli hostages in return for a 60-day ceasefire, and the release of 150 terrorists serving life sentences. The proposal on the table would also see Israel suspend military operations in the Gaza Strip for 60 days and could be seen as a path to reach a comprehensive deal to end the war, an Egyptian official told Reuters.