WASHINGTON — US President
Joe Biden has
announced that he ordered the US military to lead an urgent operation to
establish a pier along Gaza's Mediterranean coastline as a receiving point for
ships transporting essential supplies such as food, water, medicine, and
temporary shelters for Gaza. Nonetheless, this move has stirred debate among
analysts, with some questioning its implications and potential favoritism
towards Israel, Al-Ghad reported.
اضافة اعلان
European Commission President
Ursula von der Leyen has expressed anticipation for the initiation of a maritime aid corridor
between Cyprus and the Gaza Strip early next week. This corridor aims to
deliver essential aid to Palestinians in the strip, with the possibility of the
first food aid trial departing from Cyprus on Friday.
Joining this initiative, UK Foreign Secretary
David Cameron announced the UK's cooperation with the US to open a direct
maritime aid corridor to Gaza.
Additionally, reports from Israeli media,
quoting a senior Israeli official, have disclosed ongoing discussions between
Israel and the US regarding this initiative. Both parties have agreed to
coordinate its implementation.
Logistics and implications of Gaza floating
port proposal
Jordanian Military Expert and Retired General
Hisham Khreisat shed light on the origins of this idea, indicating that it was
initially proposed a decade ago but faced rejection from Israel at the time.
However, amidst Israel's recent war on Gaza, the proposal was reintroduced and
received approval from Cyprus and Greece.
Khreisat outlined the estimated initial cost
of the project, which is $35 million, to be covered by the US. The port's
infrastructure, including a pier with a minimum depth of 17 meters, is designed
to accommodate all aid ships and will encompass six square kilometers,
incorporating floating hospitals and housing units.
Furthermore, Khreisat explained the logistical
details of the aid delivery process, highlighting the route from Cyprus to the
designated port site in Khan Younis city on Gaza's coast, approximately 387
kilometers away. He noted that ships would undergo inspection at the Israeli
port of Ashdod before being escorted to Gaza by the Israeli navy and drones.
Despite the humanitarian goals emphasized by
Biden's announcement and the provision of relief aid and medical facilities,
Khreisat pointed out another dimension of the floating port's potential impact.
He suggested that it could inadvertently encourage voluntary Palestinian
migration to Europe and render the Rafah land crossing with Egypt obsolete.
He said, “The floating dock on the shores of
Gaza, its appearance is aid, and its substance is voluntary migration to
Europe."
He also noted that Biden is very concerned
about the consequences of the Israeli Occupation Forces’ (IOF) invasion of
Rafah in the southern part of the strip and the failure to end the humanitarian
disaster in Gaza, which will reflect on the election result in the US.
Therefore, he will rush to build the port.
Despite the endorsement of these steps by the
US, UK, and Israel, calls to reopen Gaza's crossings persist. UN Human Rights
Commissioner (
OHCHR) Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence emphasized the need for an
immediate end to the war in Gaza, urging the full opening of border crossings
to ensure the safe movement of aid convoys.
UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator
for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, also stressed that sending humanitarian aid to the
sector by air-dropping it or delivering it by sea cannot in any way be
considered a ‘substitute’ for delivering it by land.
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