Days after President Joe Biden promised to construct a temporary pier to serve the beleaguered enclave, the U.S. Army claimed on Sunday that it has sent a ship to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza through Central Command (CENTCOM).
“Less than 36 hours after President Biden announced the U.S. would provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza by sea,” reports CENTCOM from the departure of General Frank S. Besson from Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.
“Carrying the first equipment to establish a temporary pier to deliver vital humanitarian supplies,” according to the statement, is the logistics support vessel. Following U.N. warnings of widespread starvation among Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians, five months after Israel began its onslaught in the tiny enclave in response to an attack by Hamas terrorists, Biden made his declaration during his State of the Union speech on Thursday.
There is no port infrastructure in Gaza. To avoid the necessity for security inspections in Gaza, the United States first intends to utilize Cyprus, which is providing a procedure for screening shipments that will involve Israeli authorities.
Delayed Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Amid Continued Israeli Blockade
The majority of Gaza’s population is currently internally displaced, and relief supplies are experiencing significant delays at land border crossings. Since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007, Gaza has been subject to an Israeli navy blockade. Since then, there haven’t been many direct marine arrivals.
Amid ongoing efforts to achieve another temporary truce and the release of some of the approximately 130 Israeli captives still held by Hamas, the US and its allies launched their most recent attempt to provide supplies to Gaza.
Since January, discussions for a cease-fire have been mediated by Qatar, the US, and Egypt. The latest agreement was a combat halt in November that lasted over a week and saw Israel free about three times as many Palestinian inmates as Hamas released over 100 captives.
Because Israel won’t promise to stop the conflict or withdraw its soldiers from the enclave, Hamas holds Israel responsible for the deadlock in talks for a prolonged ceasefire and the release of 134 hostages who are allegedly still detained in Gaza.
Israel’s spy service, Mossad, claimed that Hamas was putting in a lot of effort and hoping that unrest in the area would worsen during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has referred to Hamas’s claims as “delusional,” while Israeli authorities have stated that the war would only cease when Hamas is defeated.
Biden Seeks Palestinian Ceasefire Before Ramadan
In an appearance with MSNBC over the weekend, Mr. Biden who has advocated for a temporary ceasefire several times stated that a solution might be made “always possible” before Ramadan.
Speaking to MSNBC, Mr. Biden reiterated the US’s unwavering support for Israel’s right to self-defense while telling Mr. Netanyahu that his actions are “hurting Israel more than helping” and that he should reduce Palestinian civilian fatalities.
Mr. Biden has pleaded with Mr. Netanyahu to delay launching a big attack in Rafah until Israel has developed a strategy for a mass evacuation from the final part of Gaza that it has not yet invaded with ground forces, due to concerns about further severe civilian fatalities.
The Rafah region is home to more than half of the 2.3 million people that live in Gaza. A protestor shouted “genocide Joe” at a campaign address in Georgia, a state that is considered a battleground for the presidential election, but the crowd’s cries of “four more years” soon drowned him out, and security removed him. Mr. Biden answered right away, saying, “There are a lot of Palestinians who are being unfairly victimized.”
Israel increased its pressure on Gaza by attacking a 12-story residential building in Rafah, which resulted in the eviction of several people but did not result in any injuries. The Israeli military said that Hamas was using the block to organize attacks against Israelis.
