Gaza port: US assigns 1,000 troops despite vows of no ground presence

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
9 Mar 2024 00:16

The construction of the Gaza port is anticipated to span approximately 60 days, with details still in the making, as per the Pentagon.

Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, is seen in this undated file photo. (US Air Force)

The construction of a temporary port system, "aimed at expediting aid to Gaza," is expected to take around 60 days, Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, said.

The said mission will require the involvement of approximately 1,000 troops, Ryder added, detailing that the extensive US military operation will include both soldiers and sailors.

However, in this grandiose US military spectacle, with soldiers and sailors in tow, the spokesperson assured that not a single troop will set foot on Gaza's shore, not even for a moment to secure the not-so-essential dock to the beach, claiming that the operations will take place offshore.

Upon becoming operational, the port system is expected to facilitate the "daily delivery of approximately 2 million meals to Gazans," claimed Ryder.

It's noteworthy that the United States has been the main ally of "Israel" in its ongoing genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza. The country which has sent billions of dollars in weapons to "Israel" since the beginning of its genocidal war against Gaza surely possesses the ability to exert pressure on the entity, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid.

Meanwhile, Palestinians have expressed doubt regarding the EU plan for a sea corridor and the US plan for a pier, fearing that such moves could be a prelude to an international military presence on Palestinian soil and to the expulsion of Palestinians under different pretexts.

In clear contradiction, while Ryder claimed that the party responsible for securing the landing site for the port system remains unclear, US President Joe Biden told reporters that "Israel" will be in charge of providing security for the temporary port, The Times of Israel reported.

If proven true, the same occupation behind the mass murder, mass destruction, starvation, famine, tens of thousands wounded, orphaned children, and forced displacement in Gaza will be in charge of the security of the very port meant to let aid in.

Israeli officials have yet to confirm this detail, though they did welcome Biden’s announcement of the maritime corridor for aid.

Ryder, however, did mention that Washington is in discussions with partner nations and "Israel", the party behind this entire catastrophe in the first place, to finalize these details.

The spokesperson added that there is no available cost estimate for the project, revealing that the US is also engaged in talks with NGOs, aid groups, and the United Nations to determine the logistics of "aid delivery".

PFLP warns of suspicious US plan for Gaza pier

Earlier today, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) issued a warning against the US plan to establish a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza for "transporting aid to the sector."

The movement emphasized that the US plan is "suspicious and dubious" and goes beyond the goal of aiding the Palestinian people, opening the door to executing other alarming objectives, such as forced displacement plans under humanitarian and other pretexts.

It also considered the issuance of instructions by the US President to establish the port an attempt to appease public opinion in the United States and part of his electoral propaganda at a time when there had been no real pressure exerted to force the occupation to stop the starvation war or its crimes against the Palestinian people or to facilitate the entry of convoys into the Gaza Strip.

Furthermore, the PFLP affirmed that the step would be approached with caution and skepticism, especially given the behavior and positions of the US administration, its actions against the Palestinians, and its bias toward the occupation.

It regarded the attempts to portray this step as evidence of a rift between the US administration and the occupying entity as inaccurate, emphasizing the partnership between the two sides in aggression, genocide, and starvation.

The movement further questioned the significance of the step at a time when the United States could effectively impose aid entry through alternative means, such as compelling the opening of border crossings and delivering assistance via land routes through international institutions, particularly the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

It emphasized that the alternative to these suspicious plans was to press for the cessation of aggression and the complete withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip. This includes the return of the forcibly displaced to their areas and homes, as well as the opening of crossings to allow the entry of aid without restriction or conditions and its distribution across the Strip.

"Any actions beyond those aforementioned are futile, dubious, and unwelcomed," it added.

PFLP concluded its statement by affirming that the Resistance will remain vigilant and will confront any "suspicious US plans or any other actions that might compel Palestinians to be expelled to liquidate the Palestinian cause."

It further confirmed that the US presence would be a legitimate target for the Resistance.