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Palestinians carry victims of Israeli shelling as people wait for help, on Gaza beach, Gaza City, February 29, 2024. Photo/REUTERS
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden said the United States (US) military would build a temporary pier on the Gaza coast to distribute humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave.
The war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas entered its fifth month this week. The US previously began sending aid packages by air to Gaza, and the new method is designed to facilitate deliveries by sea.
“Tonight I directed the US military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary dock in the Mediterranean on the coast of Gaza that can receive large shipments carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelter,” Biden said.
He added, “No US troops will land.”
A senior White House official said the dock would be able to carry “hundreds of additional truckloads of aid every day.” The first shipment will be made via Cyprus, according to the official.
According to officials who spoke shortly before Biden delivered his speech, the US will “coordinate with Israel on security requirements on the ground,” and work with the UN and humanitarian groups to distribute aid.
“This new method will take several weeks to plan and implement,” the official said.
Israel has killed more than 30,800 Palestinians in Gaza since October, according to local authorities. More than 72,000 people were injured in the region. 7,000 people are still missing and presumed dead under rubble across the Gaza Strip.
Nearly 90% of Gaza's pre-war population have become refugees. UN aid chief Martin Griffiths warned last week that, “Life is being drained out of Gaza at a terrifying rate.”
Israel rejects calls for a complete ceasefire, and insists on its goal of “complete elimination” of Hamas in Gaza.
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