Israel and Cyprus have devised a plan to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, the Hadashot evening news reported Monday.
According to the report, the two countries plan to jointly build a seaport in Cyprus that would serve Gaza, in exchange for the release of two Israeli captives and the return of the remains of two IDF soldiers held by Hamas, the terrorist group that rules the Gaza Strip.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his Cypriot counterpart Savvas Angelides reportedly agreed on the principles of the plan over the weekend, and work is expected to begin within two weeks. They hope to finalize the plan within the next three months.
The report broke after senior White House adviser Jared Kushner and U.S. Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend to discussed humanitarian plans for the poverty-stricken Gaza Strip.
According to the report, the Cyprus port plan includes the construction of a special loading dock for cargo ships carrying goods destined for Gaza.
The goods would be inspected by Israeli monitors to ensure that no weapons or contraband are being smuggled into Gaza.
The cleared goods would be sent to Gaza, most likely by ferry, as the enclave does not have a port large enough to accommodate cargo ships.
Sources in the Defense Ministry said the plan is contingent on Hamas agreeing to return the remains of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul and Lt. Hadar Goldin, both killed in Gaza in 2014, and free Ethiopian Israeli Avera Mengistu and Bedouin Israeli Hisham al-Sayed, both of whom have mental disabilities.
"Once all the details are in place and ready to go, we will appeal to the Palestinian people in Gaza. We'll go over Hamas' head," a senior defense official told Israel Hayom.
"We will lay out the plan and make it clear to them that it's possible, and this [the return of the captives and the soldiers' remains] is the price Israel demands," he said.
