Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands with Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, Cyprus, on Jan. 28, 2016. Photo: Haim Zach/GPO.

JNS.org – An agreement between Israel and Cyprus will mean the creation of a seaport for Gaza operated in Cyprus and supervised by Israel, according to a report by Israel’s Channel 2 News.

The measure, negotiated by Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, will mean the establishment of work teams and the completion of blueprints for a seaport within three months. The plans will include infrastructure for Israeli oversight at the port to prevent Hamas, which controls Gaza, from using it to smuggle weapons.

In tandem with the new construction project, Israel will partner with the United States in providing financial aid for basic services and infrastructure in Gaza in a bid to improve the quality of life for Gaza residents. The American aid package will be contingent on the return by Hamas of the bodies of slain Israeli soldiers, as well as the release of Israeli citizens being held captive by the terror group.

Reports reveal that the public diplomacy initiative is aimed at displaying Hamas’s responsibility for the decay of Gaza through its tactic of refusing aid to manipulate Gazans into growing ire, desperation and hate of Israel.

In a meeting between Lieberman, Cypriot Minister Savvas Angelides and Greek Minister Panos Kammenos, the representatives agreed to investigate additional means of cooperation on cybersecurity, regional military drills and rescue operations in the Mediterranean.