President Joe Biden will announce a plan in his State of the Union address for the US military to help establish a temporary port on the Gaza coast, increasing the flow of humanitarian aid for the beleaguered territory during the Israel-Hamas war, according to administration officials.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the operation would not require that American troops be on the ground to build the pier, which is intended to allow more shipments of food, medicine and other essential items.
The officials did not provide details about how the pier would be built. One noted the US military has “unique capabilities” and can do things from “just offshore”.
The move provides one more layer to the extraordinary dynamic that’s emerged as the United States has had to go around Israel, its main Middle East ally, and find ways to get aid into Gaza, including through airdrops.
Biden last week raised the idea of establishing a “marine corridor”, saying the US was working with allies on how it might provide assistance from the sea to those in Gaza.
