Gaza aid ship yet to leave Cyprus

BBC News:

A ship carrying humanitarian aid, that was expected to depart for Gaza on Sunday, is still docked in Cyprus.

A charity leading the mission told the BBC it is “a quickly evolving and fluid situation”, but hopes the ship, Open Arms, will set sail soon.

On Sunday evening, the sighting of the new moon marked the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in Gaza.

Many had hoped for a ceasefire by now, but negotiations between Israel and Hamas have largely stalled.

President Joe Biden issued a Ramadan message on Sunday, and said the suffering of Palestinians would be in his “front of mind” as Ramadan arrived at “a moment of immense pain.”

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also marked the beginning of the holy month with a video message of “solidarity and support to all those suffering from the horrors in Gaza.”

The UN has previously warned a quarter of Gaza’s population is on the brink of famine, and children are starving to death there.