Senior officials in the U.S. administration reported that President Joe Biden will announce in his State of the Union address today, Thursday, that the U.S. military will establish a port on the Gaza coastline on the Mediterranean to receive humanitarian aid by sea. The officials also stated in a press briefing that "Hamas is delaying reaching a new agreement with Israel regarding the release of hostages because it has refused to free the sick and elderly among them." They noted that "a temporary ceasefire is necessary to expedite the entry of aid shipments." According to the officials, "the establishment of the port in Gaza by the U.S. military will not require the presence of American troops on the ground, but rather they will be aboard ships off the coast of Gaza."
One official mentioned that Biden will instruct the U.S. military in his speech before Congress "to undertake an emergency mission to create a port in Gaza and work with partners to provide humanitarian aid." The official added: "The United States will also work with the United Nations and humanitarian relief organizations that understand the nature of aid distribution within Gaza, and that initial supplies will come from Cyprus."
The official noted that the temporary port will increase the volume of humanitarian aid for Palestinians in the war-torn region "by hundreds of additional shipments" daily, and that the U.S. will coordinate security with Israel.
An Israeli official indicated that the development of the Gaza port facility will be fully coordinated between Israel and the United States, stating: "We fully welcome and support the U.S. plan for a temporary port in Gaza to provide humanitarian aid."
For its part, U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said that the international community's focus should be on increasing the distribution of aid on a wide scale and bringing it into Gaza by land. Dujarric added, "Any way to bring more aid into Gaza, whether by sea or air drops, is very good." The United States, Jordan, and France have conducted air drops, while Israel has overseen the delivery of aid through private contractors.
