According to Reuters on Thursday, the dock is expected to begin operating and transporting aid next May.
The Pentagon spokesman, Major General Pat Ride, said in his statements to reporters: “I confirm that American warships have begun construction of the first stages of a temporary port and pier at sea.”
Regarding the size and nature of the American presence in the port and the Strip, the agency quoted American officials as saying:
- No troops will be deployed on the ground in the Gaza Strip, but American soldiers will be near the Strip during the construction of the pier, which will also be supervised by Israeli forces.
- Concerns about the risk of US forces getting involved in the war between Israel and Hamas were confirmed on Thursday, with reports of a mortar attack near the area where the pier will touch land.
- There are no American forces there, and US President Joe Biden ordered the army not to enter the Gaza beach.
- About 1,000 American soldiers will support the efforts to transport aid, as the dock will initially handle 90 trucks per day, then the number will increase to 150 when it is fully operational.
- A third party will drive the trucks from the pier to the beach.
The Israeli army, for its part, said in a statement that it will provide security and logistical support for the pier through a military brigade that includes thousands of soldiers, which will work alongside the Israeli naval and air forces to protect the American forces building the pier.
According to a Biden administration official, who refused to reveal his identity to reporters, humanitarian aid coming through the pier, located southwest of Gaza City, will have to pass through Israeli checkpoints on the ground, although it will be subject to Israeli inspection in Cyprus before being sent to Gaza.
A report by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, published on Friday morning, under the title: “The US Army begins construction of a naval pier off Gaza,” stated that the American forces will manage activities on the pier, and private sector contractors working for the American forces will unload the aid into storage facilities. Distribution will be the task of World Food Organization staff.
The report also indicated that the port will be designated for aid only, and that no individuals will be evacuated or brought in to and from the Gaza Strip.
The significance of the American presence
Regarding the reasons for Washington’s initiative to build the pier, and what this indicates regarding the future of the war in Gaza that has been ongoing for about 7 months, the Palestinian journalist, Jamal Salem, told the “Sky News Arabia” website:
- There is enormous pressure on America in the face of the possibility that the people of Gaza will be exposed to famine, especially after its failure to persuade Israel to facilitate the entry of aid.
- The idea of the seaport came so that America and Israel would have complete control over the distribution of aid, not Hamas, and also to reduce the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), whose role Israel doubts.
- Establishing a port in this form and of this size indicates that the crisis will remain for a long time, as it will not be established to be used for a short period.
Political analyst, Jawad Al-Shami, linked the construction of the pier to the ongoing protests in the United States, especially universities, against the Biden administration’s support for Israel in the war.
Al-Shami explained to Sky News Arabia that Washington wants to “calm down the situation” inside the United States, and the scope of work for this port will be in the northern Gaza Strip, where the humanitarian conditions are deteriorating significantly.
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