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PFLP warns of suspicious US plan for Gaza pier

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
8 Mar 2024 22:33
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PFLP questions the significance of Biden's port plan in Gaza at a time when the United States could effectively impose aid entry through alternative means.

A Jordanian military aircraft drops insufficient humanitarian aid over Rafah and Khan Younis. (AFP)

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) has 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.

Biden's new port plan won't bring relief to Gaza: Economist

According to The Economist, US President Joe Biden announced on Friday, during his State of the Union, address that he has directed his military to lead a mission that will establish a temporary pier that will bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

"Tonight, I’m directing the US military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine, and temporary shelters," he said during his speech.

"No US boots will be on the ground," Biden claimed.

He added that the temporary pier would enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza but stressed that "Israel" must play its part in the process for it to be successful.

Earlier, a senior Biden administration official said the temporary port will feature a pier that will "provide the capacity for hundreds of additional truckloads of assistance each day."

According to the official, the shipments will be screened by the US and partners in European Union member Cyprus.

The people of Gaza are facing dire shortages of food, water, and medicine, with the United Nations warning of the risk of famine. The entire population of 2.2 million is in crisis or worse levels of food insecurity, according to the World Food Program (WFP).

The WFP reported that Gaza requires at least 300 vehicles each day to transport food, medicine, and other necessities. Shipments via Gaza's two operational land border posts—the Rafah crossing with Egypt and the Karam Salem crossing with "Israel"—fall significantly short.

The US has so far airdropped a total of 192 packages containing 112,896 meals to Gaza. The figure, according to The Economist, only represents one meal per six days for 5% of Palestinians, this is provided that all pallets arrived undamaged.

In addition, the challenge is not only getting the supplies into the Strip but distributing them around the territory, knowing that trucks and stores were attacked and Israeli tanks tore up the roads.

The Government Media Office in Gaza called earlier for the immediate and urgent opening of land crossings to allow thousands of tons of aid to enter, in order to prevent the deepening famine crisis in the Gaza Strip, especially in the north.

Commenting on the casualties resulting from the random air drops of aid, which led to the killing of 5 people and injury of several others, the office reiterated that such operations are not effective and are not the optimal way to deliver aid.

Five Palestinians, including two children, were killed on Friday due to an aid airdrop mishap, where at least one parachute malfunctioned, causing a package to fall on them. The tragic incident occurred in the al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza at approximately 11:30 am local time.

Airdrops of humanitarian aid to Gaza may not be necessary if pressure on the Israeli occupation was effective, Patrick Wintour of The Guardian reported.

According to The Economist, Biden refuses to utilize America's clout to push "Israel" to let additional supplies into Gaza. Now, after enabling "Israel's" behavior for months, he is seeking ways to free it of accountability.

The UN Relief and Works Agency is also concerned with the distribution of help once it arrives on the ground. Chris Doyle, executive director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, believes the decision of the US to airdrop aid is a sign of "America's ineffectiveness".

Doyle notes that airdrops are considered dangerous and not enough, emphasizing that the US is only doing so since it "cannot persuade Israel to allow aid into Gaza by land and in trucks. It is the ultimate sign of weakness and shows the US is unwilling to stand up to Israel.”

According to Politico, the airdrops expose Biden's very limited approach with "Israel" since the US usually delivers airdrops to areas that are occupied by "terrorist groups or hostile regimes, not allies."