During his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden declared a significant US military-led operation to establish a temporary port off the coast of Gaza for delivering urgent humanitarian assistance. This initiative aims to alleviate the sufferings in Gaza caused by the blockade which has restricted essential supplies. Biden’s direction seeks to address severe shortages of food, water, and medicine that have plagued Gaza’s population of 2.2 million, urging Israel to allow more aid into the territory while maintaining support for its defense against Hamas. Biden stressed the importance of prioritizing the protection and saving of innocent lives.
The temporary port, which does not require US troops on the ground in Gaza, will create a channel for substantial aid to be shipped in, drastically increasing the volume of humanitarian relief received. The plan involves stringent security measures including screening by the United States and European Union member Cyprus, rather than an Arab nation. The US military recently executed multiple airdrops into Gaza, providing tens of thousands of meals, although this approach falls short of meeting the overwhelming demand for aid. In light of this, the new operation will bring aid through Cyprus, and over time, the control of the port is intended to transition to a commercial operation, in full coordination with Israeli authorities.
This initiative reflects a pivot in US strategy, indicative of mounting frustrations with existing blockades and a determination to provide sustenance to the Gaza population more effectively, underscoring the need for a comprehensive and unimpeded humanitarian response. As outlined by Biden, the temporary pier will be capable of handling the equivalent of hundreds of truckloads of additional assistance each day, with future airdrops complementing this effort, and ultimately, emphasizing the urgent call for a cease-fire to facilitate immediate aid access to those in need in Gaza.