President Joe Biden made a significant announcement during his State of the Union speech, declaring an urgent military mission to create a port in the Mediterranean Sea along Gaza’s coast. The purpose of this mission is to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region.
“I have instructed the U.S. military to take charge of an urgent operation to construct a temporary pier along the Gaza coast in the Mediterranean. This pier will be capable of accommodating large ships that transport essential supplies such as food, water, medicine, and temporary shelters,” announced Biden during his address to Congress at the U.S. Capitol.
He stated that there would be no U.S. troops physically present. He emphasized the significance of the temporary pier, explaining that it would greatly enhance the amount of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza on a daily basis. However, he also stressed the importance of Israel fulfilling its responsibilities in this regard.
Biden emphasized the importance of Israel permitting increased aid to enter Gaza and ensuring the safety of humanitarian workers amidst the ongoing conflict.
According to senior administration officials, the recently announced port will have the capacity to accommodate large ships carrying essential supplies such as food, water, medicine, and temporary shelters.
According to a senior defense official, the main highlight of the port will be a temporary pier that can accommodate hundreds of additional truckloads of assistance on a daily basis.
According to a senior defense official, the United States and its partner countries will be spearheading the effort, which is expected to take several weeks to plan and execute. The official added that the necessary forces to carry out the mission are either already present in the region or will be deployed there in the near future.
According to a senior defense official, there will be no need for American troops to be physically present on the ground for the operation. When further questioned, a senior White House official highlighted the exceptional capabilities of the U.S. military, stating that they can carry out extraordinary tasks from offshore locations.
According to the defense official, the initial aid shipments will be delivered through the port via Cyprus.
The U.S. official informed reporters that Israel is being urged to permit additional aid into Gaza through land routes as it is considered the most efficient and cost-effective option.
“We have made the decision, and the president has given us the directive, to explore all options. We will not wait for the Israelis, and we are actively pursuing every possible avenue to provide assistance to Gaza,” stated the official.
According to the defense official, the most effective method of obtaining aid is by securing a temporary cease-fire deal.
When questioned about reaching a deal before Ramadan, the senior White House official stated that there is no strict deadline for this negotiation.
“We are fully aware that extremists may attempt to exploit Ramadan to incite unfortunate events during this sacred month. Our primary focus is to ensure a peaceful period for people to worship. We are actively coordinating with the Israelis, the Palestinian Authority, the Jordanians, and other stakeholders to address this issue,” stated the White House official.
According to a senior defense official, the United States has already delivered over $180 million worth of aid to Gaza since the commencement of the war on October 7th.
“We are well aware that the aid reaching Gaza falls far short of what is needed and is not being delivered quickly enough,” stated the defense official. “The president will emphasize once again tonight that we must all step up our efforts and that the United States is indeed doing more. We are actively exploring every possible avenue to ensure additional assistance reaches Gaza.”
According to a defense official, Israel has been actively working on creating a third land crossing into Gaza. This new crossing aims to facilitate the direct flow of aid to the population in the northern region of Gaza, which is in desperate need of assistance. The United States anticipates that the first delivery through this passage will occur within the next week.
The Pentagon official confirmed that the United States conducted its third aid air drop into Gaza on Thursday morning. This humanitarian effort involved 192 bundles, which equated to approximately 113,000 meals.
