The bluff of a Gaza sea port in Cyprus
Analysis: A dock for the strip in Cyprus—an idea being discussed as part of ceasefire negotiations with Hamas—would require the construction of a sea port in Gaza itself, which would in turn be a symbol of sovereignty for Hamas. The Israeli government, especially on the eve of elections, will not allow that.
If a port in Cyprus is supposed to replace the Kerem Shalom crossing, for example, then we're talking about massive amounts of goods. Just on Wednesday and Thursday of last week—by no means peak activity time at the crossing—40 tons of goods went into the strip. In 2017, 160,000 trucks went into Gaza through Kerem Shalom. It's safe to assume the amount of goods coming in through a port in Cyprus would be bigger, and there is no way to unload cargo at this magnitude other than by building a sea port in Gaza.
Even if they call it a "pier" or a "harbor," it would still be a sea port and a symbol of Hamas sovereignty in Gaza. Because for cargo ships—even relatively small ones—that are laden with containers and cargo—including gas and fuel—to be able to unload their goods in the strip, a fortune would have to be invested in deepening the marina there. A dock will have to be built—with cranes, storage spaces, communication systems, naval radar, infrastructure to guide the ships and other elements required for the operation of a sea port.
The sea port in Cyprus is the grandchild of the Gaza sea port idea, which was born in the Oslo Accords. At the time, the Israeli defense establishment opposed the idea of building such a port, which could be used to bring in weapons and terrorists. In 2000, construction began on a port in Sheikh Ijlin, in southern Gaza, but what was built there was bombed in the beginning of the second intifada, and the idea of the port was buried under the wreckage.
But talk of a sea port, like talk about an arrangement, pop up every time Israel is in a bind over a ceasefire with Hamas. Last time it happened immediately after Operation Protective Edge, as part of the Cairo agreements. Of course nothing came of it.
In 2016, the port idea came up again, this time in its Cypriot version. At the time it was brought back up because of concern in the IDF over how the humanitarian situation in the strip would affect the security situation.
The Navy claimed it could ensure no contraband is transported from Cyprus to Gaza. But the problem was and remains the supervision of the dock in Cyprus. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ya'alon objected to the idea, because they believed leaving the supervision to international elements in Cyprus would be exploited by Hamas to smuggle forbidden equipment into the strip.
Building a dock for the strip in Cyprus would require state-of-the-art equipment and skilled international teams to check every container. Who can guarantee that Israel's demand of complete supervision is met? Who will supervise the supervisors? After all, Israel has bad experience with international supervision.
The Palestinian Authority and the Egyptians weren't too "crazy" about the idea either, as the negotiations in 2016 were held with the Erdogan government, and the idea being broached was a Palestinian dock in the Turkish Cyprus and under Turkish auspices. Since then, the Cyprus port idea has been left up in the air, like Minister Katz's artificial island idea.
In June 2017, Defense Minister Lieberman said that "a sea port in Gaza would be rewarding terrorism. We can't protect our security via remote control." In May 2018, in the wake of the inflamed tensions along the Gaza border, Lieberman traveled Cyprus, where he was reported to be discussing a Palestinian dock in Cyprus—a report he didn't deny. Did something change? Has Hamas promised to stop its armament?
A port is a sign of sovereignty, and Israel does not recognize a Hamas state in the strip. This government, certainly on the eve of elections, will not make any decisions about a sea port, but will continue blowing hot air everywhere.
