The United States military plans to build an emergency port off the Gaza coast to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza and help alleviate the hunger crisis in the enclave.
The port “can receive large ships carrying food, water medicine, and temporary shelters,” top US officials told reporters in a background briefing.
US President Joe Biden is expected to announce the initiative during his annual State of the Union speech.
Lacking aid in Gaza
“The aid flowing into Gaza is nowhere near enough and nowhere near fast enough,” the officials said.
“The President will make clear … that we all need to do more and that the United States is doing more. We are seeking to use every channel possible to get additional assistance into Gaza,” the officials said.
“This is a moment for American leadership, and we are building a coalition of countries to address this urgent need,” the officials explained.
They clarified that the plan, which also involves using a port in Cyprus, was worked out with Israel, the Cypriots, and other like-minded countries.
“Initial shipments will come via Cyprus enabled by the US military and a coalition of partners and allies,” the officials explained.
“The main feature, which is a temporary pier, will provide the capacity for hundreds of additional truckloads of assistance each day.
“We will coordinate with the Israelis on the security requirements on land and work with the UN and humanitarian NGOs to understand the distribution of assistance within Gaza,” the officials stated.
They added that the plan did not involve US troops on the ground in Gaza itself, but the officials did not elaborate as to how the US would build an offshore pier and ensure distribution without such a step.