After months of delay, Israel on Tuesday cleared the first shipment of flour to be delivered to Gaza, after it arrived at the port of Ashdod. The shipment of 114,000 tons of flour is expected to meet the needs of Gazans for a number of months.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised U.S. President Joe Biden last January, that the flour would be transported to the Strip, but it was delayed amid opposition from ministers in the security cabinet.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Netanyahu's far-right coalition partner who opposed humanitarian aid being delivered through Israel, eventually conceded, after they were convinced it was critical for the continuation of the war.
Another of Netanyahu's coalition partners, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir remains the only voice of opposition in the cabinet, currently.
Earlier on Tuesday, the first ship carrying aid from the Spanish Open Arms NGO, left Cyprus on its way to Gaza after waiting in the Larnaca port for the past days. The ship is connected to a barge carrying 200 tons of flour and other foods on what is described as a pilot voyage to determine a secure maritime rout from Cyprus to the Strip.