On Saturday evening, Israel's Ministry of Transport announced that an Israeli delegation, led by Uzi Yitzhaki, the chairman of the Israel Ports Company, will depart for Cyprus on Monday. Under the guidance of Transport Minister Miri Regev, this delegation will explore the potential purchase of one of the island's ports. This initiative is part of Israel's efforts to find maritime solutions for the supply of goods to the country, particularly in response to national security scenarios and challenges related to maritime logistics.
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The idea, which was proposed by the Ministry of Transport, has received approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The estimated cost of such a purchase is around $140 million, and it's understood that the Cypriots are interested in the proposal. However, this is just the initial stage of the process. The idea will only be thoroughly examined by the National Security Council and brought to government approval once negotiations have progressed.
Starting next week, a team will begin working on addressing a number of problems and formulating strategic solutions. It's estimated both in Israel and internationally that it will take five years to rehabilitate the Gaza Strip following the war. During this period, humanitarian supplies to the Strip will be routed through a US-established port in Gaza, as promised by President Joe Biden in his State of the Union address earlier this week.
The purchase of the port in Cyprus would allow Israel to control security arrangements, enabling them to conduct security checks on any goods arriving in the Strip via the sea. If the purchase goes ahead, until the American port in Gaza is established, goods will be transferred to the port of Ashdod and then transported by road to the Strip.
However, the potential purchase of the port is not solely related to the Gaza situation. It's also a response to Israeli concerns about a potential conflict from the north, where Hezbollah may attempt to target the port of Haifa. In such a scenario, cargo ships transporting goods to Israel would sail from the port in Cyprus to one of Israel's southern ports in Ashdod or Eilat.
Looking at the bigger picture, the port purchase could also serve as a crucial part of the Peace Railway project, a concept that both Israel and the United States continue to support. In the future, goods arriving from India to Israel could potentially be transported from Israel's ports to Cyprus, and from there to destinations across Europe.