American military experts say that the plan of the administration of US President Joe Biden to establish a floating dock off the coast of Gaza as part of a large-scale international initiative to “feed the hungry Palestinians” will “endanger US military service members who must build, operate and defend the dock from any possible attack,” which is dangerous. "The political consequences for the president must be a disaster," according to the Washington Post.

American officials say these efforts could provide up to two million meals a day in Israel's war-torn territories, where fears of famine are growing amid ongoing Israeli bombing and the occupation army's strict restrictions on the flow of food, medicine and other humanitarian aid.

While the Pentagon maintains that no US troops will be deployed to Gaza, it has revealed little about how long the operation could last and how it intends to ensure the safety of participants, alarming some in Congress and other critics of President Biden's plan. Military officials declined to answer The Washington Post's questions about where the pier would be located and what security measures would be in place, citing their desire not to telegraph their plans.

They warn that the Americans' constant proximity to the fighting and the intense anger at the United States for its unconditional support for Israel will make the "sea dock" a tempting target for Hamas fighters or other armed groups in the region. They also believe that missile launches, attack drones, divers or speedboats transporting explosives would all pose a threat.

Paul Kennedy, a retired Marine general who led major humanitarian operations after natural disasters in Nepal and the Philippines, called it a “worthy goal” for the United States to alleviate civilian suffering in Gaza, “but he questioned whether the US military is the appropriate entity to participate according to the newspaper."

"If a bomb exploded at that site, the American public would wonder: What were they doing there in the first place?" he said.

It is noteworthy that John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said last week that assembling and operating the pier will provide relief to thousands of Gaza residents, which is a very important mission that will “make a big difference” in the lives of citizens.

“But we know that such missions are never without risk,” Kirby said. “This is especially the case in a war zone like Gaza. There will be no American troops on the ground, and we know that our military commanders will do everything they can to ensure their safety as they build and operate this dock.”

The newspaper's report is based on interviews with eight current and former US national security officials familiar with the ongoing planning for the Gaza operation or familiar with the complex coordination required to safely conduct humanitarian missions of this scale.

Those who defended the plan said the risk was real, but manageable, and that the United States was showing leadership by finding new ways to feed Palestinians trapped by the fighting.

However, many have cited the deadly bombings in Beirut in 1983, which left 241 US service members dead, and the US evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021, which killed 13 US soldiers along with an estimated 170 Afghans, (which remains a point low for the Biden administration and the focus of an ongoing oversight investigation in the Republican-controlled House), as examples of the enormous difficulty of protecting U.S. service members during extended stays in fragile conditions.

President Biden announced the deployment of the Gaza dock during his State of the Union address on March 7, saying it would allow for a "tremendous increase" in humanitarian aid. Over the past few weeks, the United States and other countries have dropped air aid into Gaza, but these efforts have not met the demand.

The dock idea has been met with mixed reactions, with the International Rescue Committee and other aid organizations saying the United States should use its influence to pressure Israel to allow more humanitarian aid in by land. Israeli officials have refused to open the northern crossing into Gaza, citing security concerns, while the arduous inspection process in the south has limited the amount of aid that can enter.

Israel accused the UN agency responsible for distributing most aid within the Strip of diverting supplies to Hamas, and said the delay resulted from logistical problems among relief organizations, including a shortage of drivers.

According to experts, the Army-led operation will include about 1,000 US soldiers and four Army ships that will be deployed from southeastern Virginia on March 12. After an estimated 30 days, the ships are expected to be towed offshore, where soldiers will build the floating steel vessels. An 1,800-foot-long, two-lane structure and bridge extends from the edge of the Mediterranean Sea to the bridgehead.

All deliveries will be organized and inspected in Cyprus before being loaded onto ships that carry them to the dock. Defense officials said American personnel would move supplies to the bridge, but would not leave it.

For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant expressed his support for the naval plan in Washington last week, saying that Israeli forces will ensure that aid reaches whom it should reach.