On Thursday, March 7, President Joe Biden announced during his State of the Union address that the U.S. military would be building a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to help in the delivery of humanitarian aid. Now, despite being at odds over a cease-fire, Israel is agreeing to provide a “security bubble” for the U.S. pier project, according to Politico.
Officials familiar with the project told Politico that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will be responsible for securing the pier to the beach. However, the project is still in the planning stages and nothing is entirely settled.
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A spokesperson confirmed that the IDF will be “coordinating with the U.S. military to facilitate the project” but didn’t provide other details.
According to the United Nations, people in Gaza are facing “imminent famine” as the Israel-Hamas war continues. Once the pier is complete, it will reportedly be used to deliver more than 2 million meals per day.
The U.S. also said that the pier will provide a better way to deliver aid, especially in the wake of deadly incidents involving air-dropped parcels. Twelve Palestinians drowned off the northern Gaza coast trying to reach air-dropped aid parcels, which had landed in the sea.
Another five people were killed in a separate incident involving an air drop, when a parachute failed to deploy properly on a parcel, killing people on the ground. The completion of the U.S.-made pier would eliminate the need for air drops.
However, constructing the pier will take some time. Officials said that the building process will take around two months. When the pier is finished, it will be a floating pier three to five miles offshore and have an 1,800-foot causeway anchored to the beach to be used by ships to offload aid onto.
After aid is taken off the ships, trucks will load it and distribute the aid into Gaza. In order to ensure the pier is completed, workers need to be kept safe.
How the IDF will provide security and “secure” the pier is still unknown. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the project, some lawmakers have serious questions about how the construction process will go.
Rep. Mike Rogers, D-Ala., accused Biden of being politically motivated to build the pier. He cited a protest vote in Michigan’s Democratic primary, in which a large swath of voters wrote in “uncommitted” because of U.S. support for Israel’s military efforts. According to Rogers, this pushed Biden to move “really fast” on the pier. Rogers and some other Democrats reportedly want more answers.
The White House said no American troops will be on the ground to build the pier. However, when asked how that would happen, specifics were not given. The Pentagon said the U.S. military has “unique capabilities” and can do things from just “offshore.”
Tags: Foreign aid, Gaza, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Joe Biden, Mike Rogers, Palestine, Politico, The Pentagon, U.S. military
[JOE BIDEN]
I’M DIRECTING THE U.S. MILITARY TO LEAD AN EMERGENCY MISSION TO ESTABLISH A TEMPORARY PIER IN THE MEDITERRANEAN ON THE COAST OF GAZA.
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
THAT WAS PRESIDENT BIDEN BACK DURING HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS…FAST FORWARD A FEW WEEKS AND DESPITE BEING AT ODDS OVER A CEASEFIRE, ISRAEL IS AGREEING TO PROVIDE A SO-CALLED “SECURITY BUBBLE” FOR THE U.S. PIER PROJECT OFF OF THE COAST OF GAZA, AIMED AT HELPING PROVIDE MUCH-NEEDED HUMANITARIAN AID.
OFFICIALS FAMILIAR WITH THE PLANS BROKE THE NEWS TO POLITICO.
HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW:
ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SECURING THE PIER TO THE BEACH.
BUT IT’S STILL IN THE PLANNING STAGES, NOTHING IS ENTIRELY SETTLED YET.
A SPOKESPERSON DID CONFIRM THE IDF WILL BE QUOTE:
“COORDINATING WITH THE U.S. MILITARY TO FACILITATE THE PROJECT” BUT DIDN’T GET INTO DETAILS BEYOND THAT.
THE PIER IS NEEDED FOR GAZANS, WHO THE U.N. SAYS ARE FACING “IMMINENT FAMINE” AS THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR CONTINUES
ONCE THE PIER IS COMPLETE, IT WILL BE USED TO DELIVER MORE THAN TWO MILLION MEALS PER DAY.
THE U.S. SAYS IT WILL BE A BETTER WAY TO DELIVER AID. ESPECIALLY IN THE WAKE OF DEADLY INCIDENTS INVOLVING AIR DROPPED SUPPLIES.
TWELVE PALESTINIANS DROWNED OFF THE NORTHERN GAZA COAST TRYING TO REACH AIRDROPPED PARCELS WHICH LANDED IN THE SEA.
ANOTHER FIVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN A SEPARATE AIR DROP, WHEN A PARACHUTE FAILED TO DEPLOY PROPERLY.
THE PIER WOULD END THE NEED FOR THOSE AIR DROPS.
BUT IT’S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME.
ONCE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS, IT WILL TAKE TWO MONTHS TO COMPLETE.
WHEN FINISHED, IT WILL BE A FLOATING PIER THREE-TO-FIVE MILES OFF SHORE.
AN 1800 FOOT CAUSEWAY ANCHORED TO THE BEACH WILL BE USED BY SHIPS TO OFFLOAD AID ONTO THE PIER.
AFTER THAT, TRUCKS WILL TAKE IT AND DISTRIBUTE IT INTO GAZA.
IN ORDER TO INSURE THIS GETS DONE IN A TIMELY FASHION, OR DONE AT ALL, WORKERS ARE GOING TO NEED TO BE KEPT SAFE.
THAT’S WHERE ISRAEL COMES IN,
BUT THE WAY IN WHICH THE IDF WILL PROVIDE SECURITY OR “SECURE” THE PIER, IS STILL A MYSTERY.
BECAUSE OF THAT, LAWMAKERS HAVE SOME SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS WILL GO.
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN MIKE ROGERS OF ALABAMA ACCUSED PRESIDENT BIDEN OF BEING POLITICALLY MOTIVATED TO BUILD THE PIER.
HE CITED A PROTEST VOTE IN MICHIGAN’S DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, IN WHICH A LARGE SWATH OF VOTERS WROTE IN “UNCOMMITTED,” BECAUSE OF U.S. SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL’S MILITARY EFFORTS, PUSHING BIDEN TO MOVE QUOTE “REALLY FAST” ON THE PIER.
ROGERS SAYS HE WANTS MORE ANSWERS, AND SO DO DEMOCRATS.
THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS NO AMERICAN TROOPS WILL BE ON THE GROUND TO BUILD THE PIER.
WHEN ASKED HOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN, SPECIFICS WERE NOT GIVEN.
THE PENTAGON SAYS THE U.S. MILITARY HAS “UNIQUE CAPABILITIES” AND CAN DO THINGS FROM JUST “OFFSHORE”
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