the United States begins construction of a pier for Gaza, intended to deliver humanitarian aid

The United States has begun construction of a pier for Gaza, the Pentagon announced Thursday, April 25. This project is intended to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory bombed and besieged by Israel. American military ships “have started to build (…) the temporary port and the sea jetty”, Pentagon spokesperson General Pat Ryder told reporters.

Faced with delays and blockages from Israel regarding the delivery by land of humanitarian aid to a Gaza Strip hit by a humanitarian disaster, American President Joe Biden promised at the beginning of March the construction of an artificial port. This temporary seaport should allow military or civilian ships to deposit their cargo. Aid must then be delivered by logistical support vessels to a jetty on the coast.

LAmerican officials have affirmed that this approach would not involve “ground troops” in the Palestinian territory at war. However, American soldiers will be near the Gaza Strip during the construction of the pier, which must be supervised by Israeli troops. On April 23, Pat Ryder clarified during a press briefing that these will be “NGOs who will then transport the aid from the causeway to a staging area and then for further distribution throughout Gaza.”