UAE foreign minister backs Cyprus-Greece bid to boost flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza

NICOSIA, Cyprus — United Arab Emirates' foreign minister says his country supports a Cyprus-Greece proposal to use the east Mediterranean island as a staging post to transport humanitarian aid earmarked for blockaded Gaza.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said Wednesday that the initiative has a "very strong humanitarian base" and would boost the Palestinian Authority's role in delivering aid to Gaza.

Under the European Union-backed initiative, ships would use Cypriot ports to ferry aid destined for Gaza some 240 miles away. It is unclear where the ships would dock for offloading or how the aid would enter Gaza.

Cyprus and Greece unveiled the initiative after a May 31 Israeli commando raid on an aid flotilla attempting to breach the blockade left nine activists dead.

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