JERUSALEM

Israel has advanced plans to build a floating dock in Greek administered part of Cyprus to receive goods bound for the blockaded Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media on Tuesday.  

The plans were reportedly agreed in principle during talks between Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Nicos Anastasiades, president of Greek Cypriot administration.  

According to Israeli Channel 2, a panel will be established in two weeks to work out a detained plan to be presented within three months.  

The dock will include a system enabling Israel to monitor the movement of goods bound for the Palestinian territory.  

“As soon as all the details are closed and ‘locked and loaded,’ we will appeal directly to the public in Gaza,” a senior defense source told the channel.  

Israeli media said port building will be conditioned on the release of three Israelis believed to be held by Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, in addition to the return of the remains of two Israeli soldiers.  

There was no comment from authorities in Israel or Greek Cypriot administration on the report.

The Gaza Strip has been reeling under a crippling Israeli blockade since 2007, which has gutted the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its 2 million inhabitants of many basic commodities.  

Since March, more than 130 Palestinians have been killed and thousands injured by Israeli army gunfire during protests demanding an end to the decades-long Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and lifting of the Gaza blockade.