Officials Say US Port Will Increase Gaza Aid Without Requiring Boots on the Ground
The US military is planning to establish a temporary port on the Gaza coast to enhance the flow of humanitarian aid to the embattled territory, as announced by Joe Biden.
President Biden is set to make this announcement in his upcoming State of the Union address.
Reportedly, Israel is in full support of this plan which will enable hundreds of additional truckloads of aid to be delivered daily.
This initiative aims to increase the shipments of essential items such as food and medicine into Gaza, according to US administration officials speaking to NBC News through Sky News.
No US troops will be required on the ground for this operation, with Israeli officials overseeing the screening of goods at the port in the city.
The planning and execution of this port are expected to take several weeks.
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This action marks a significant development in the conflict.
It signals America’s disbelief in Israeli claims of providing sufficient aid to Gaza, attributing the inefficiency to aid agencies and the UN.
President Biden’s tolerance towards Israel has dwindled, resulting in the deployment of the US military to compensate for the failures of a key ally.
However, this decision is not without risks. Building a port in the midst of a war comes with inherent dangers.
While American forces will operate at sea, without boots on the ground, ensuring their security remains a challenge.
There are adversaries of the US in Gaza backed by Iran, eager to exploit the situation for political gain during an election year.
This course of action inevitably intensifies US involvement in the conflict, potentially leading to further escalation.
It is crucial to recognize that the construction of the port will take weeks, if not months, while the starving population of Gaza urgently requires aid.
Convoys will be facilitated via Cyprus with support from the US military and a coalition of partners and allies, revealed US officials speaking to NBC.
Recently, EU officials met in Cyprus to discuss the establishment of a maritime aid route with a base in Larnaca on the island.
Following Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October, the Israeli military launched an offensive in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, predominantly civilians, and the abduction of around 250 individuals.
In November, over 100 hostages were released in exchange for 240 Palestinians detained by Israel.
The death toll among Palestinians has exceeded 30,700, according to Gaza’s health ministry led by Hamas.
The humanitarian crisis in the region is deteriorating, with humanitarian organizations warning of the difficulties in delivering aid across most parts of Gaza.
There is a scramble for aid in Gaza
Palestinian children wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen in Rafah. Pic: Reuters
Many Palestinians, especially in the devastated north, are struggling to find food to survive.
Sir Mark Lowcock, former head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, has warned Sky News that without significantly more aid, there will be a “catastrophic” increase in the number of fatalities.
“The death toll from starvation and related illnesses is projected to surpass the 30,000 individuals already killed by conflicts,” he emphasized.
