The United States, Cyprus, the UAE, Britain, Qatar, and the European Union issued a joint statement today (Thursday), in which they stressed that there is no alternative to land routes through Egypt, Jordan, and entry points from Israel to Gaza to deliver aid on a large scale.

The statement published by the US State Department regarding ministerial consultations to push the establishment of a sea corridor to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza added that opening the port of Ashdod to humanitarian aid would be welcome and an important complement to the sea corridor that is being worked to establish.

It added that senior officials will discuss the possibility of establishing a joint fund to support the sea corridor to deliver aid to Gaza and coordinate in-kind and financial contributions to its continuation.

It said: “The ministers stressed that the sea corridor can and should be part of ongoing efforts to increase the flow of humanitarian aid and commercial goods to Gaza through all possible ways, including increasing land routes and continuing airdrop operations.”

The statement stressed the need for Israel to open additional crossings to deliver more aid to Gaza, including the northern Gaza Strip.