Fishermen on the Gaza beach (Anadolu Agency)
The Pentagon said on Friday that establishing a temporary humanitarian port in Gaza City will take several weeks, during a press conference by Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder.
US President Joe Biden announced - yesterday evening, Thursday - during his State of the Union address that he had issued instructions to the US army to establish a temporary port on the Gaza coast, adding that more humanitarian aid would enter Gaza by sea through the port without American soldiers setting foot on the territory of the Strip.
The Pentagon spokesman said that the port will contribute to providing more than two million meals a day to the residents of the besieged Strip, noting that Washington continues to coordinate with partner countries (which he did not name) regarding the port, including Israel, which will be responsible for the security aspect, without giving more details.
A spokesman for the US National Security Council said earlier this week that the temporary port on the Gaza coast will accommodate hundreds of additional aid loads daily, and that Washington will work with partner countries and humanitarian organizations to operate the temporary port on the Gaza coast, while it will coordinate with Israel regarding Security conditions of the port.
Agence France-Presse quoted an unnamed American official as saying, “We are not waiting for the Israelis. This is a moment (to show) American leadership,” amid growing frustration in the White House due to Israel’s refusal to allow more aid to enter the Strip.
American officials did not specify how the port would operate in the absence of American military personnel on the ground in Gaza, but they implied that “partners and allies,” in addition to the United Nations and relief organizations, would participate in implementing the project.
Due to the war and Israeli restrictions, the residents of Gaza are on the verge of famine, with a severe scarcity of food, water, medicine and fuel supplies, with the displacement of about two million Palestinians from the Strip, which has been besieged by Israel for 17 years.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, leaving tens of thousands of civilian casualties, most of them children and women, a humanitarian catastrophe and massive infrastructure destruction.
Source: Anadolu Agency