Gaza War: UN warnings that sea routes to provide aid to the Strip “cannot be an alternative to land routes”

US President Joe Biden said that humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip cannot be a bargaining chip, calling on Israel to allow more aid to enter the Gaza Strip.

Biden said that he directed the US military to establish a temporary port in Gaza with the aim of delivering more humanitarian aid by sea to the Strip, and the temporary dock will be able to receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine, and temporary shelters.

During his State of the Union address to Congress, which is his last during his current presidency and before the upcoming elections in November, Biden indicated that he would continue to work tirelessly to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, calling for an “immediate ceasefire for six weeks.” Between Israel and Hamas.

This comes after the Cairo talks reached a dead end, and the Hamas movement delegation left the Egyptian capital, after consultations on a ceasefire in Gaza mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States.

Israel did not reject the establishment of the sea corridor, and its spokesman said that the aid would be received after conducting security inspections “in accordance with Israeli standards.”

In a joint press statement, the European Commission, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Greece announced their support for the United States to activate a sea corridor to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Since October 7, the Gaza Strip, which has been besieged for 16 years, has been suffering from the prevention of entry of sufficient humanitarian aid to its residents, and the interruption of water and electricity, which has led to a humanitarian catastrophe that has led to the death of some people due to hunger, especially in the north of the Strip.

An estimated 300,000 Palestinians live in northern Gaza with little food and clean water.

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is tragic, with innocent Palestinian families and children in dire need of basic necessities,” the joint statement says.

He added: “For this reason, today the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States announce their intention to open a sea corridor to deliver additional, much-needed supplies and large quantities of humanitarian aid by sea.”

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in statements on Friday that his country will cooperate with the United States to open a sea corridor to deliver aid directly to Gaza.

“Along with the United States, Britain and its partners announce the opening of a sea corridor to deliver aid directly to Gaza,” Cameron said on social media.

Cyprus had previously announced the establishment of the “Amalthea” initiative, to determine a mechanism for safely shipping aid from Cyprus to Gaza via sea, and it will be part of enabling the joint effort to launch a sea corridor.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said that the Cyprus sea corridor aims to transport “aid to the Gaza Strip and relieve pressure on land routes,” provided that the corridor is “sustainable and contributes mainly to alleviating the suffering of civilians in Gaza.”

Speaking in Cyprus, von der Leyen said Gaza was “facing a humanitarian catastrophe” and that the sea corridor would enable the delivery of large amounts of additional aid.

She added that the trial shipment of aid will come in coordination with the United Arab Emirates and the International Aid Organization for the Central Kitchen.

Biden said that US forces will not be deployed on the ground in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to continuous Israeli bombing since the October 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel.

However, he did not specify how the port would operate in the absence of American military personnel on the ground in Gaza. However, US administration officials had previously indicated that “partners and allies” in addition to the United Nations and relief organizations would participate in implementing the project.

He added that the Israelis have been informed of the project and the United States will work with them on security requirements.

Israel had put forward a similar plan in the first weeks of the war, and Washington said it was working closely with the Israelis to implement the plan. But it did not specify whether Israel would provide direct assistance or support to build or operate the pier.

It is not yet clear where the Biden administration intends to build the new port or floating dock off Gaza, but the US Army Corps of Engineers, which has long experience in the rapid construction of floating facilities, will, according to White House officials, build the facilities before transporting them to the coast near the shores of Gaza.

The officials said that the ships, which are huge and large, need armed guards due to their slow sailing, especially when they reach the Gaza coast, so the US Department of Defense is working on how to ensure their protection during the construction of the dock.

The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, announced Thursday that sending humanitarian aid to the Palestinian Strip by dropping it from the air or delivering it by sea cannot in any way constitute an “alternative” to delivering it by land.

Kaag told reporters at the end of a closed session of the UN Security Council in New York, “I spoke about the importance of diversifying land supply routes. This solution remains the best, because it is easier, faster, and cheaper, especially since we know that we need to continue delivering humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza for a long period of time.” .

Commenting on the humanitarian aid that was recently dropped from the air over the Palestinian Strip, Kaag said, “I believe that these operations are a symbol of support for civilians in Gaza. They are a testimony to our common humanity, but they are just a drop in the ocean, and they are not enough at all.”