U.S. President Joe Biden is set to announce during his State of the Union address on Thursday that he is directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a port on the Gaza coast. The port, which will feature a temporary pier, is intended to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to the Hamas-controlled territory amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, according to senior administration officials.
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the announcement, revealed that the operation will not require American troops to be on the ground to build the pier. Instead, the U.S. military will utilize its "unique capabilities" to construct the facility from "just offshore." The effort is expected to take "a number of weeks" to execute, with initial shipments originating from Cyprus.
"Tonight in the speech, the president will announce that he's directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a port in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters," one official said. "This port, the main feature of which is a temporary pier, will provide the capacity for hundreds of additional truckloads of assistance each day."
The officials emphasized that the U.S. will coordinate with the Israelis on land-based security requirements and work with the United Nations and humanitarian NGOs to distribute the assistance within Gaza and Israeli settlements. The operation is foreseen to be one that won't require U.S. boots on the ground, with mechanisms established to distribute the aid on land within Gaza.
The move comes as pressure on Israel to establish a sea route for aid has been growing in recent days. European Union Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen planned to visit Cyprus on Friday to inspect installations at the port of Larnaca, from where aid is expected to leave for Gaza if a sea route is established. Israeli officials said Wednesday the country would cooperate with the creation of a sea route from Cyprus, an idea that's been under discussion for months.
The announcement also highlights the extraordinary dynamic that has emerged as the United States has had to go around Israel, its main Mideast ally, to find ways to get aid into Gaza. "We're not waiting on the Israelis. This is a moment for American leadership. And we are building a coalition of countries to address this urgent need," a U.S. official said.
Five months of fighting between Israel and Hamas have left much of Hamas-run Gaza in ruins and led to a worsening humanitarian catastrophe. Many Palestinians, especially in the devastated north, are scrambling for food to survive. Aid groups have said it has become nearly impossible to deliver supplies within most of Gaza because of the difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military, the ongoing hostilities, and the breakdown of public order.
The U.S. has provided more than $180 million in assistance since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas terrorists on southern Israel, according to the Biden administration. "Responding to the major increases in the needs of the Palestinian people has been a priority since day one, and it remains one today. But the truth is, we know that the aid flowing into Gaza is nowhere near enough and nowhere near fast enough," one official said.
International mediators had hoped to alleviate some of the immediate crisis with a six-week cease-fire, which would have seen Hamas release some of the Israeli hostages it is holding, Israel release some Palestinian prisoners, and aid groups be given access to get a major influx of assistance into Gaza. However, talks have stalled, with Hamas seeking commitments for a more permanent cease-fire and Israel wanting to confine the negotiations to a more limited agreement.
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, particularly in the north where many of the estimated 300,000 people still living there have been reduced to eating animal fodder to survive, the Biden administration's plan to establish a temporary port on the Gaza coast represents a significant effort to increase the flow of essential supplies to the beleaguered territory. The move also underscores the complex geopolitical dynamics at play in the region, as the U.S. seeks to address the urgent needs of the Palestinian people while navigating its relationship with Israel amid the ongoing conflict.
