The head of the European Commission said on Friday a maritime aid corridor could start operating between Cyprus and Gaza this weekend, part of accelerating Western efforts to relieve the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave.
Ursula von der Leyen's comments came a day after President Joe Biden announced plans for the US military to build a "temporary pier" on Gaza's Mediterranean coast, amid UN warnings of famine among the territory's 2.3 million people.
Senior US administration officials said the effort announced by Biden builds upon the maritime aid corridor proposed by Cyprus- the closest European Union member to Gaza.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned of looming famine in Gaza, and von der Leyen described the situation as "dire... a humanitarian catastrophe".
Negotiations on a possible ceasefire in Israel's war in Gaza, now in its fifth month, remained deadlocked in Cairo, with time running out to reach a truce in time for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, expected to begin on Sunday.