Israeli official: We welcome Washington's plan to establish a temporary port in Gaza

An Israeli official said on Thursday that Israel welcomes an American plan to build a “temporary port” on the Gaza coast to deliver humanitarian aid by sea, and will coordinate the development of the project with the United States.

Reuters quoted the official, who requested anonymity, as saying that Israel "fully supports" the establishment of such a facility after US officials said that President Joe Biden will announce in his State of the Union address that the US military will build a port to receive food, medicine and other supplies for civilians. In the besieged Palestinian Strip.

According to press reports, the port mainly includes a temporary dock, which will provide the capacity to accommodate hundreds of additional truckloads of aid daily.”

The plan includes the deployment of American forces in the Gaza Strip, and American military personnel will remain at sea, with other allies participating in implementation.

Biden orders the US army to establish a port in Gaza for aid

American officials explained that the implementation of this large project “will require several weeks of planning and implementation,” and will include a sea corridor to bring aid from the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean.

American officials were keen to confirm that American forces would not be deployed on the ground in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to continuous Israeli bombing since the October 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel.

The official, who requested to remain anonymous, added, "This port, which mainly includes a temporary dock, will provide the capacity to accommodate hundreds of additional truckloads of aid daily."

American officials explained that the implementation of this large project “will require several weeks of planning and implementation,” and will include a sea corridor to bring aid from the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean.

American officials were keen to confirm that American forces would not be deployed on the ground in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to continuous Israeli bombing since the October 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel.

“It is expected to be an operation that will not require boots on the ground,” a second official said.

He added, "The American army has unique capabilities. It can do extraordinary things from abroad, and this is the operational concept that was briefed to the president."

He pointed out that the Israelis have been informed of the project and the United States will work with them on security requirements, while coordinating with “partners and allies,” the United Nations, and relief organizations working in Gaza.

Political pressure

This announcement during the State of the Union address highlights the intense political pressure on Biden due to his unwavering support for Israel despite the rising death toll in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis.

Last week, Biden announced airdrops of aid into Gaza, following an incident in which more than 100 people were killed while trying to get aid in northern Gaza.

Earlier on Wednesday, US Defense Department spokesman Patrick Ryder said that Washington is considering establishing a sea corridor to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

American optimism

This comes after the US State Department said that Washington is optimistic that a new sea route to deliver aid to Gaza, currently under discussion, could complement current efforts to deliver aid to the Strip by land and through airdrops.

It added that the sea aid corridor "is still in the development stage," and that Washington continues to work to increase the volume of aid reaching those in need in Gaza.

Cyprus had talked about efforts to establish a sea corridor starting from the island’s ports directly to Gaza, according to the Politico website.

So far, the only route for aid to the war-ravaged coastal enclave is by land from Egypt at Rafah, but there is a growing diplomatic push to use ships, which can deliver 500 times as much aid as trucks.

Key practical challenges include the risks posed by war and the fact that Gaza's port is too small to receive large tankers.

Sky News