In his State of the Union address, US President Joe Biden announced the American military's initiative to construct a temporary port along the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip.
This facility aims to facilitate the maritime reception of humanitarian aid, explicitly stating that the plan does not include deploying US military personnel within Gaza.
Biden's declaration comes amidst efforts to mitigate dissatisfaction within his Democratic party regarding his support for Israel's offensive in Gaza since October 7, given the substantial civilian casualties incurred in the region.
The decision to erect this temporary port emerges amidst UN warnings about the imminent threat of famine facing 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, as the conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas persists for nearly five months.
In his speech, Biden highlighted the loss of over 30,000 Palestinian lives, the majority of whom are not affiliated with Hamas, emphasizing the significant number of innocent women and children among the casualties.
Biden informed Congress of his directive for the US military to undertake an emergency mission to establish a "temporary dock" on Gaza's coast to receive ships loaded with essential supplies such as food, water, medicine, and temporary shelter units, assuring that "there will be no American forces on the ground."
Officials stated that Washington would collaborate with European and regional partners and allies to form a coalition of nations contributing supplies and financial resources to the initiative.
An Israeli official affirmed Israel's full support for the establishment of a temporary port on Gaza's coast for humanitarian aid delivery via sea and stated coordination with the United States on the project's development.
Sigrid Kaag, the UN's Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs and Reconstruction in Gaza, welcomed Washington's participation in Cyprus's proposal to create a maritime corridor for delivering goods to Gaza.
However, she reiterated that aerial and maritime routes cannot substitute land access for aid delivery.
A U.S. official noted that while Israel is increasing the number of aid-laden trucks allowed into the besieged strip and the US and other nations are conducting aerial drops, the volume of aid reaching Gaza remains insufficient.
The temporary port is expected to significantly boost humanitarian aid volumes to war-torn Gaza, with the US coordinating security with Israel.
The initial supplies will originate from Cyprus, and the operation, involving US forces already in the region or soon to be deployed, will rely on the Cypriot government's initiative to gather humanitarian aid in the coastal city of Larnaca, situated 210 nautical miles from Gaza.
This arrangement allows Israel to inspect shipments before their transfer to Gaza.
Initially managed by the military, the temporary port in Gaza is envisioned to later transition into a commercial facility, according to US officials.
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