In a meeting on Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides discussed the possibility of creating a maritime aid corridor from Cyprus to the heavily bombarded Gaza Strip. The talks took place amidst the ongoing Israeli bombings in Gaza, which have claimed the lives of more than 9,700 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The aim of the proposed corridor is to provide a sustained flow of humanitarian aid to the civilians in Gaza, whose access to vital supplies such as water, electricity, fuel, and food has been cut off in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks.

The initiative has received backing from France, the European Commission, and Israel, and Cyprus is in discussions with the United Nations to ensure that the aid reaches the population and not Hamas. The proximity of Cyprus to the region, as well as its good relations with Arab states and Israel, has positioned the country as the nearest EU member state to Gaza and a key player in facilitating the humanitarian aid efforts.

President Christodoulides highlighted the importance of the endorsement from French President Emmanuel Macron and the president of the European Commission, and expressed readiness to proceed with implementing the proposal as soon as conditions allow. Talks have also been held with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, French President Emmanuel Macron, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and other parties in the Middle East and the European Union. Cyprus is already serving as a transit hub for foreign nationals evacuated from Israel due to the ongoing conflict.