The US military plans to build a port in Gaza to increase humanitarian aid delivery
The US military announced plans to build a temporary port in Gaza to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the embattled territory. The initiative aims to increase the amount of aid reaching Palestinians by “hundreds of additional loads” per day, as the UN warns that a quarter of the population is on the brink of famine.
The port, which will not include the deployment of US soldiers on the ground, is expected to take a few weeks to be enabled and will be able to receive large ships transporting food, medicine, and temporary shelters. The first shipments will arrive via Cyprus, where Israeli security inspections will take place.
US President Joe Biden is set to make the formal announcement during his State of the Union address on Thursday. The move comes as the Israeli government continues its air and ground campaign against the Gaza Strip in response to attacks by the armed group Hamas.
The Biden administration has increased pressure on Israel to address the desperate situation in Gaza, where more than 30,800 people have died since the conflict began. The US plans to have the port installed by the 7th Transportation Brigade, a rapid deployment unit based in Virginia, but military ships have yet to leave the United States.
The World Health Organization has warned of a dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with children dying of hunger and a lack of clean water in northern Gaza. Aid trucks have been entering southern Gaza through Egyptian and Israeli border crossings, but the north has been largely cut off from assistance in recent months.
Last week, over 100 people died trying to reach a humanitarian aid convoy, with Palestinians blaming Israeli soldiers for the deaths. The World Food Program suspended food deliveries in northern Gaza due to chaos and violence, prompting the US and other nations to turn to aid delivery by sea as a last resort.
An independent UN expert has accused Israel of implementing a “starvation campaign” against the Palestinian people in Gaza, a claim vehemently denied by the Israeli mission to the UN. The situation remains dire as the international community works to address the urgent needs of the people in Gaza.