US President Joe Biden to announce Gaza port construction to enable aid into war-torn Palestinian enclave
US President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden, in his State of the Union speech on Thursday (Mar7), is expected to announce that the US Army will build a port on Gaza's Mediterranean coast so that humanitarian assistance can be delivered via sea, said senior administration officials cited in American media.
The officials further stated that the Palestinian militant group Hamas was delaying the new hostage deal with Israel as it did not agree on releasing sick and elderly hostages that it had held captive.
In his speech to Congress, Biden will announce that he has ordered the U.S. military "to undertake an emergency mission to establish a port in Gaza, working with like-minded countries and humanitarian partners," one of the officials said.
The temporary port would enable "hundreds of additional truckloads" of humanitarian aid to be delivered to Palestinians living in the war-torn besieged enclave every day, said the official, further adding that the US would coordinate security with Israel.
It also would work with the United Nations and humanitarian aid organisations that "understand the distribution of assistance within Gaza," stated the official, adding that initial supplies would come from Cyprus.
US airdrops fresh round of humanitarian aid inGaza; 36,800 meals delivered
The United States on Tuesday (March 5) carried out a fresh round of airdrop of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in war-torn Gaza, delivering over 36,800 meals.
The first airdrop was made on Saturday where humanitarian aid was dropped over the coast of southwestern Gaza.
The situation in the besieged Palestinian enclave is dire, with over 2.3 million people displaced due to the ongoing Israeli offensive. As per the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza, at least 15 children died in one hospital alone. There are also reports of people dying of malnutrition.
Gaza truce talks to reconvene next week
Meanwhile, Hamas on Thursday (March 7) announced that its delegation left Cairo and discussions on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release are set to reconvene next week.
The latest development raises questions if the mediators would be able to ink a ceasefire deal before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Despite an impasse over Hamas' phased process demand, Egyptian officials have not ruled out the possibility of a deal before Ramadan, expected to begin Sunday evening (Mar 10).
Earlier on Saturday, a US senior official said that Israel has 'more or less' agreed to a deal proposing a six-week ceasefire in its war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Biden administration official further added that it was now up to Hamas to fully agree to the release of the most vulnerable hostages for the agreement to be put into effect.
"There's a framework deal. The Israelis have more or less accepted it," the Biden administration official said.
(With inputs from agencies)