US President Joe Biden intends to inform Congress on Thursday that he has ordered the army to establish a port in Gaza to deliver more humanitarian aid by sea to the besieged Palestinian Strip, according to a senior official in the Democratic administration.
Officials said that the step would not include the deployment of American forces in the Palestinian Strip, but rather that American military personnel would remain at sea, with other allies participating in the implementation.
"The president will announce tonight in his State of the Union address that he has directed the US military to conduct an emergency mission to establish a port in Gaza," an official told reporters.
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.
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 obtain aid in northern Gaza.
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