Discussions are ongoing regarding the potential long-term implementation of Cyprus’ Amalthea plan, the humanitarian aid corridor linking the island to Gaza, United Nations senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag said on Tuesday.

“Options are being discussed for the possibility of implementation and the long-term planning of the Cyprus maritime corridor with direct access to Gaza,” she said.

She added that the relevant UN Security Council resolution “mandated the establishment of a mechanism to monitor and verify humanitarian aid to Gaza”.

This mechanism, she said, now undertakes humanitarian aid missions to Gaza from Cyprus, Jordan, Israel and the West Bank, and allows for “greater volume at specific times, transparency, and prioritisation”.

In addition, the mechanism is set to expand to include humanitarian aid supplies travelling to Gaza from Egypt later this month.

Kaag said this expansion will be subject to the approval of visas for UN observers, who will then move to the mechanism’s newly established offices in Gaza.

Despite Kaag’s efforts, however, the Amalthea plan remains somewhat stalled, with the temporary jetty constructed off the coast of Gaza to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid sent from Cyprus still out of action as of Tuesday.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh confirmed on Tuesday that the jetty is currently not in Gaza but in the port of the Israeli town of Ashdod for a third time since it was first placed off the coast of Gaza in May.

“The status of the jetty right now, as you know, it was disconnected late last week. It was moved to Ashdod for the high sea states. The jetty remains in Ashdod right now. We are still assessing when it can be re-anchored when sea states calm a bit,” she said.

The jetty had only been put back into position on Thursday before being towed back to Ashdod before Saturday due to expected high seas. It has only been usable for a total of 12 days since first being put into place on May 17.

Singh said the US is holding discussions with aid agencies regarding the distribution of the aid, but UN World Food Programme (WFP) spokesman Steve Taravella said the WFP’s participation in the project is still “on pause” pending the resolution of security concerns for aid workers.

WFP executive director Cindy McCain had announced in June that the WFP had “paused” its distribution of humanitarian aid from the jetty, saying she was “concerned about the safety of our people” after an Israeli military operation in the area which reportedly killed over 200 Palestinians.

She added that two of the WFP’s warehouses nearby had been “rocketed”.

“We have stepped back for the moment, to make sure that we are on safe terms and on safe ground before we will restart,” she said, adding that the WFP is continuing its distribution of humanitarian aid in other parts of Gaza.