Hamas confirms no alternative to opening land crossings for aid delivery

Gaza, May 18 (IANS) Hamas said that there is no alternative to opening land crossings under Palestinian supervision for delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, including the newly-anchored floating aid pier.

The confirmation comes following the start of operations by the US-built aid pier off the coast of Gaza City, according to local Palestinian sources, reports Xinhua news agency.

Any means of aid delivery, including the aid pier, is not a substitute for opening all land crossings under Palestinian supervision, Hamas said in statement.

It emphasised the right of the Palestinian people to receive all necessary aid amid the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the occupation of the Gaza Strip.

It also reiterated the rejection by Hamas and all Palestinian factions of any military presence of any force on Palestinian territories.

Earlier, local Palestinian sources told Xinhua that a ship carrying humanitarian aid had reached the shores of the Gaza Strip while smaller boats began unloading their cargo and delivering it to the aid pier west of the city.

Dozens of trucks were reported waiting on the coastal strip to be loaded with aid and transported to warehouses belonging to the United Nations (UN) in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the sources noted that another group of ships are on the way to the shores of Gaza, with expectations to unload their cargo soon.

Palestinian sources said that