Gaza aid ready to depart from Cyprus on Sunday afternoon (Video)

Around 150 tonnes of aid are expected to be sent to Gaza from Larnaca port on Sunday afternoon, once Israel gives its final approval.

The shipment is made as part of Cyprus’ maritime humanitarian corridor  ‘Amalthea’.

The trip is expected to take two days until the aid reaches Gaza, however the time of the vessel’s departure will not be made public for security reasons.

It will carry MMS Aris floating unit, as Gaza has no port structure.

During a speech on Saturday evening, President Nikos Christodoulides said the government has received a series of calls from heads of states, governments and foreign ministers who expressed their desire to participate in this initiative.

He added that Cyprus, as a member state of the European Union, maintains “excellent relations” with all neighbouring states in the region and tries within its capabilities to contribute to addressing such challenges.

“I believe that this development shows that our country can be a pillar of security and stability in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region, a region of particular geostrategic importance, always modestly and humbly,” Christodoulides said.