Under a real peace deal, Gaza could be an intercontinental crossroads

For tworfa weeks sailed around the Mediterranean, waiting to land. Its shallow bottom made it perfect for dumping emergency supplies onto the sands. On board were almost 90 tonnes of shelters, blankets and medicine, approved by Israel for entry into Gaza. Israel’s then foreign minister, Eli Cohen, said it could land “immediately”. But after leaving the Cypriot port of Larnaca in mid-December, it sailed west instead to Malta and finally offloaded its cargo in Egypt at the start of January. “Israel could not guarantee its safety,” says a diplomat involved in the mission.Gaza’s 40km coastline should be ideal for landing aid. But Israel is torn between its desire to be rid of the Gaza problem and its urge to control everything that enters it. “[Aid] won’t come via Israel,” meaning by land, said Mr Cohen last month, backing a sea corridor instead. But Israel’s security bosses are loth to let anyone else decide what should go to Gaza. Their dual-use list (items banned because they could theoretically have some military use) includes fridges, water filters and apparently even lavatory seats. Egypt is ambivalent too. It fears the prospect of Gazans spilling into Egypt if the gates are opened too wide.