ALBAWABA- In his upcoming State of the Union address on Thursday, US President Biden will announce a critical measure to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The White House has termed it an "emergency mission," where the US military will build a floating pier off Gaza to facilitate the delivery of essential aid to the region, where many are on the brink of starvation.
The plan involves constructing a temporary port for aid delivery from US ships, which will then be moved close to shore and connected to a temporary causeway. This project could take 30 to 60 days.
It will require the involvement of hundreds or even thousands of US troops on ships offshore, in line with Biden's directive to avoid deploying American soldiers on the ground inside Gaza.
However, Israeli officials have expressed full coordination with the US on the development of the Gaza port facility and have welcomed the plan as a means to provide humanitarian aid.
Despite these efforts, many observers and humanitarian organizations question the effectiveness of the floating pier, citing existing land ports as closer, easier to access, and more cost-effective ways to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
They argue that the plan may take months to implement, by which time famine may have already taken a devastating toll on the population.
They advocate for allowing humanitarian assistance to flow through the crossings blocked by Israel, which they claim has weaponized starvation and hindered access to essentials in Gaza for the past five months.
