A Win For Biden In Gaza
Fast Update on “A Pier In Palestine”
President Biden’s recent initiative to build a pier to allow aid to reach the stricken community of Gaza is already bearing fruit — literally.
Supplies are now moving into Gaza after being blocked by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF).
The Israel Defense Forces is planning to “flood” Gaza with supplies, spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari announced recently.
Among the routes being planned is the floating pier of Gaza’s coast that U.S. President Joe Biden announced in his State of the Union address. Israel’s about-face on aid might be related to American determination to get the project underway.
A team of experts from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is scheduled to arrive in Israel over the next few days. They will discuss with the IDF the procedure for creating the pier. Since the U.S. is not planning to have boots on the ground in Gaza, Israel will provide the security. It will also maintain a secure corridor for the distribution of supplies.
The floating pier may take two months to build, and in the meantime another sea route is already in operation. The World Central Kitchen has launched from Cyprus a tugboat carrying supplies meant for Gaza. According to Hagari this is “a pilot” which has been “fully coordinated” with Israel. Operation Safeena has 200 tons of food en route to Gaza now. The charity was founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés with his wife Patricia.
Another new route, this time by land, was used for the first time on Tuesday night, as the IDF allowed a convoy of six trucks, carrying food bought by private contractors in Gaza. Route 96 is a new road built by the IDF south of Gaza City. Enough food for 25,000 people was delivered to Gaza City in the early hours of March 12th.
Israel will also step up to help coordinate the air-drops of supplies to Gaza by the U.S., Jordan and other countries.
The American initiative to build the pier could be seen as the trigger event that drew Israel to change its policy. Israel was not going to be able to stop its ally the US from building the pier, which would introduce an element of direct American control into the conflict.
U.S. army Brig.-Gen Brad Hinson said the pier will be assembled with the help of smaller vessels that will move the pieces into place. His colleague Col. Sam Miller, the 7th Transportation Brigade commander, said about 500 of his soldiers will participate in the mission, while the construction will likely require as many as 1,000 U.S. military personnel to complete.
The finished project will be about 12 metres (40 feet) long and made up of pieces of steel that are locked together to form a pier.
There will also be a causeway measuring some 550 metres long, also made from steel and attached to the shore.
About 576,000 people in Gaza — a quarter of the population — are on the verge of famine, according to the UN.