A Spanish charity ship taking food aid to Gaza left the Mediterranean island of Cyprus on Tuesday in hopes of opening a maritime corridor to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
The Open Arms set sail towing a barge loaded with 200 tonnes of relief goods for the sea journey of about 400 kilometres (250 miles), as Cyprus said it was readying a second ship.
“The departure of the first ship is a sign of hope,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media platform X. “We will work hard together for many more ships to follow.”