President Joe Biden gave a 68-minute State of the Union address on Thursday, the 7th of March, in which he outlined his arguments for re-election. Accusing Donald Trump of undermining democracy, befriending Russia and obstructing an important immigration bill, Biden also announced a US military initiative to build a temporary port on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast to send humanitarian aid by sea, reports Reuters.
Biden notified Congress of the order for the US military to take the lead in the initiative to build a “temporary pier” off the coast of the Gaza Strip to receive ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelter.
The operation, which will initially be coordinated from Cyprus,
does not involve the deployment of US military personnel to Gaza, Biden said.
An Israeli official said Israel “fully supports the deployment of a temporary port” on the Gaza coast and that the operation would be carried out “in coordination between the two sides”.
Sigrid Kaag, UN Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for the Gaza Strip, welcomed Washington’s support for Cyprus’ initiative to establish a maritime corridor for the delivery of goods to Gaza, stressing that deliveries by air and sea cannot replace those by land.
Although Israel is increasing the number of aid trucks entering Gaza and the US and other countries are dropping shipments from the air, the volume of aid remains insufficient, a US official said.
The temporary port will increase humanitarian aid to Palestinians, and its officials will work with the UN and humanitarian organisations that “understand aid distribution in Gaza”, the official said.
The operation, based on a Cypriot initiative, would involve collecting humanitarian aid in the island port city of Larnaca and Israeli officials would be able to inspect shipments before they reached Gaza, officials said.
Biden’s decision to order the construction of a temporary port came at a time when
the UN warned of widespread starvation among the enclave’s population after five months of fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas.
As a result of intense Israeli bombardment and fighting triggered by the 7th of October Hamas attack on Israel, large areas of the Gaza Strip have been devastated and most of its inhabitants displaced.
In his speech, Biden said that more than 30 000 Palestinians have been killed and most of the dead are not from Hamas.
“Thousands and thousands are innocent women and children,” he was quoted as saying.
Biden’s statement came as he sought to defuse the anger of many in the Democratic Party over his support for Israel in its offensive in Gaza.
Also read: VIDEO | US VP Kamala Harris calls for “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza
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