Amid concerns of severe starvation among the Gaza territory’s 2.3 million Palestinian residents, the US military will construct a temporary port on the Gaza seashore to enable large vessels to dock to deliver humanitarian aid, Joe Biden declared in his State of the Union address to the American people on Thursday night.
He vowed that no US forces would be on the ground, and that this temporary pier would allow for a tremendous increase in the amount of humanitarian aid that can enter Gaza on a given day.
Biden also urged Israel to “do its part,” remarking that humanitarian aid cannot be a secondary priority or used as leverage in negotiations. Protecting innocent lives should be a priority, he said.
The temporary pier will be built on the coast of the old Gaza City port in the Rimal district, aid sources said. US troops would not need to step ashore, but could build the floating dock from ships offshore, according to US officials.
The humanitarian aid will be sent from the port of Larnaca, Cyprus, which will serve as the primary relief center.
The White House made it clear that the decision to allow a maritime channel for supplies into Gaza was motivated by displeasure over what Washington perceives to be significant Israeli responsibility for blocking delivery of humanitarian aid by road.