Biden Announces 'Emergency Mission' for US Military
American forces are set to construct a temporary pier on the Gaza coast to facilitate the entry of aid into the beleaguered Palestinian enclave. President Joe Biden revealed this mission during his recent State of the Union address at the Capitol, expanding on the aid airdrops he had authorized the previous week.
In his speech, Biden stated, "Tonight, I’m directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the coast of Gaza that can receive large shipments carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters." He reassured that no U.S. troops would be deployed on the ground.
The president emphasized the significance of the temporary pier, stating, "This temporary pier would enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day."
While the realization of a functional port from this concept is anticipated to take over 60 days, unnamed U.S. officials informed The New York Times that the project might involve "hundreds or thousands of U.S. troops on ships just off shore."
According to The Washington Post, once completed, the pier would facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza by allowing hundreds of trucks to transport supplies. The aid would be routed through Cyprus, with Israel conducting inspections on shipments destined for Gaza.
"We are not waiting on the Israelis," stated a Biden administration official, affirming that even during the pier installation, U.S. troops would not disembark or unload aid from ships.
Biden plans to order the US military to build a port in Gaza to deliver aid. Biden's team has shifted its Israel-Gaza strategy as progressives threaten to sit out the 2024 election. Threats from pro-Palestinian activists to sit out the 2024 election seem to be having an effect.
— Pam Bowling (@PamBowling7) March 8, 2024
Meanwhile, as Biden takes steps to assist Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that Israel has no intentions of halting its attacks in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israel initiated military action against Hamas in Gaza following a terrorist attack on October 7, where the Islamist group killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and held many others hostage.
“It is precisely when the international pressure increases that we must close ranks among ourselves,” Netanyahu declared. “We must stand together against the attempts to stop the war.” Rafah, he argued, is the "last Hamas stronghold," and resisting operations there would equate to conceding the war, something he asserted would not happen.