Biden to announce 'emergency' US military mission to build port off Gaza coast to deliver aid - ABC News
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
It will receive "large ships carrying food, water, medicine," an official said.
ByFritz FarrowMarch 7, 2024, 12:23 PM
During his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden will announce an "emergency" military mission to construct a port in the Mediterranean Sea on Gaza's coast to get humanitarian aid in, senior officials said Thursday.
The port will be able to receive "large ships carrying food, water, medicine, and temporary shelters," a senior White House official said. A senior defense official said the port's main feature will be a temporary pier that will "provide the capacity for hundreds of additional truckloads of assistance each day."
The effort will be undertaken by the U.S. and partner countries, a senior defense official said, and will take "a number of weeks to plan and execute." The official said the forces needed to complete the mission are either already in the region or will head there soon.
The senior defense official said the operation will not require American troops to be on the ground. Later pressed, the senior White House official said the U.S. military has "unique capabilities" and "can do things from just offshore that is extraordinary."
Initial shipments of aid will arrive through the port via Cyprus, the defense official said.
Humanitarian aid is air-dropped by US aircraft over the northern Gaza Strip, March 7, 2024.Mohammed Saber/EPA via Shutterstock
MORE: Biden says US to carry out airdrops of aid into Gaza in coming days
That official told reporters that the U.S. continues to push Israel to allow more aid into Gaza by land, saying it's the "most-efficient, cost-effective" option.
"But we have decided that we, and the president has directed, that we look at all options that we not wait for the Israelis and that we are pursuing every channel possible to get assistance into Gaza," the official said.
The defense official maintained getting a temporary cease-fire deal is the best way of getting aid in.
The senior White House official said "there's no hard and fast, like, deadline on this negotiation" when asked about reaching a deal before Ramadan.
"But obviously, we recognize that extremists could try to use Ramadan to spark something that would be deeply unfortunate in that holy month and we want to make sure that we have a peaceful period so people can worship and obviously we're working that through with the Israelis with the Palestinian Authority, with the Jordanians and others," the White House official said.
A senior defense official said the U.S. has provided more than $180 million worth in aid to Gaza since the war began on Oct. 7.
"But the truth is, we know that the aid flowing into Gaza is nowhere near enough and nowhere near fast enough," the defense official said. "The President will make clear again this evening that we all need to do more and that the United States is doing more, and we are seeking to use every channel possible to get additional assistance into Gaza."
The defense official said Israel has been working in recent days to establish a third land crossing into Gaza that "will allow for aid to flow directly to the population in northern Gaza that is in dire need of assistance." The U.S. expects the first delivery via this passage to happen over the next week, the official added.
The Pentagon official also said that the U.S. made its third air drop of aid into Gaza Thursday morning. The three drops included 192 bundles totaling nearly 113,000 meals, the official added.
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Weird, Joe can find money to build a port to feed terrorists, but can't find money to secure the border or help Ukraine?
The vast majority of Palestinians are not terrorists.
At it's height Hamas had 40000 fighters at the most- out of 2 million plus Gazans.
So you think Hamas won't take the food to feed their people first? I have seen nothing to indicate that the Palestinians are willing to throw Hamas out.
You want this to end, rise up and release all hostages and turn over the Hamas terrorists to Israel.
One would like to think that people allegedly starving and having been used as human shields for so long would tire of it and change it.
I wonder if Hamas has gun control for its non-members?
Maybe Joe can get Hamas to register all their weapons before receiving aid.
You think Hamas is still in control of Gaza? Try again. Think that Hamas was the one firing on starving Gazans trying to get food during the last aid run?
Hamas is a little busy fighting to expose themselves grabbing food and medical supplies. I am sure there are some Palestinians sympathetic to Hamas making sure some of the aid reaches them. But Hamas is back by Iran- they have been planning for this incursion for years and have stockpiles built up.
You think all Palestinians are armed? You think they all know how to gain entrance to Hamas tunnel network and evade Hamas traps? Palestinians that defy Hamas in Gaza disappear- so do their families. Right now Gazans are too busy dodging Israeli bombs, missiles, and munitions- and avoid getting caught in the cross fire to do anything other than survive. Hard to fight when you are literally starving to death, dying of exposure, and lack of medical supplies much the less working hospitals. Don't let reality get in the way or anything.
Gazans have two enemies- Hamas and Israel. Neither give a fuck about them.
As for ending it. You really think that releasing all of the hostages will end this? Israel will not turn over control of Gaza to the Palestinians. At best they will install a puppet government. At worst they will reintroduce settlers. Either way full blockade of Gaza Israel has had in place since 2007 will continue. Israel has no interest in rebuilding Gaza for the Palestinians. Nor do they have any interest in allowing the rest of the world to do it.
Brandon is making a huge mistake by attempting to build a port in Gaza.
We are not a neutral country in this. We need to stay the hell out. Also, if we really want to help the Gazans we will scrub any mention of US off of any aid we send into Gaza. They want nothing from us. We should take them at their word.
All they plan to do is use a floating dock already there. The logistics will take a couple of weeks.
US personnel won't leave the docked ship and be at battle stations the whole time. UN personnel already there will distribute the aid.
This would never have been announced if Israel hadn't agreed. Even if they didn't firing on a US warship would be a very bad idea. It would be an act of war. I'm almost certain there will also be air support at the ready if necessary. That doesn't mean other players might not take a pot shot.
This is about buying back those voters that are protesting the Admin's stance. Whether that will work or not remains to be seen.
That's what they said about Nazi Germany (the vast majority of Germans were not Nazis-- in fact they didn't even have any idea that Concentration camps existed.)
Definitely.
According to CNN, they need to build a floating pier and causeway. Do you have a link to an existing floating dock they will be using as CNN is quoting the pentagon.
Yes, so that is why America is really showing what American might is in its meagre efforts to stop the Houthis from firing at American and allied ships, even sinking them and killing crew (Isn't that an act of war?) besides the Houthis fucking up the world economy by preventing passage through the Red Sea.
That's not why he's doing this. rather, he wants to get re-elected.
His interest is not in feeding terrorists. Rather his interest is in winning the presidential election when a key swing state (Michigan) has a large Arab/Muslim population-- most of whom would not be voting Democratic (like they usually do) if Biden continues his strong pro-Israel stance.
(Many Muslim voters in this key swing state will not vote for Biden unless he finds a way to show he's not strongly pro-Israel--and to show he actually is "pro-Palestinian" as well....)
So Joe is merely pandering to some Democrats.
Figures.
He needs to find a better way to do it than waste US taxpayer money, resources, and US lives and entrenching us further in another quagmire.
That money would be better spent securing the southern border he opened; and enforcing our immigration laws. It would probably earn him more votes as well.
I agree, but this IS Biden we are talking about, so no chance in hell of that happening.
Yet that is what he's doing.
Yes-- but the good new is that at least Republican politicians would never pander to some Republicans!
Wow, a deflection, shocking!
I'd be surprised if any intelligent American were surprised. IMO there is hardly an American politician who would rarely say or do anything that would not benefit himself/herself personally and maintain their status.
[Deleted]
Some Democrats-- especially Americans of Arab background living in Michigan, a swing state which might decide the election if its close.
Politicians pander to voters. People on Social Media have been known to deflect & derail (or attempt to).
In fact, on rare occasions, some people on social media occasionally engage in personal attacks on other users rather than discussing the actual topic.
Shocking I know-- but I suppose That's Life
On Super Tuesday, Minnesota put up a larger number of "Uncommitted" votes in protest of Israel/Gaza than came from Michigan. Both states are in play right now for Dems.
Is it just a reflex action to blurt out something about Republicans or Trump whenever something negative about Biden or Democrats is said?
Can that be cured?
This is a political stunt that puts Americans at risk.
Good news for Hamas.. making terrorism as profitable and painless as possible for the terrorist.
How much pain do you want to put the people of Gaza through? 30,000 of them are dead.
Getting rid of Hamas will put them through much pain less than empowering Hamas like Biden is.
Less than what the hostages are facing?
Until the goal is reached and Hamas can no longer remain a threat to Israel. Maybe the people of Gaza should help with that, I am sure plenty of them know where the hostages are and where Hamas holdouts are.
Gaza civilians need to do a lot more to help themselves like rise up and overthrow and get rid of Hamas and tell Iran and Hetzbollah to go suck eggs and pound sand as well for a start. That would certainly give them a lot better credibility on the world stage.
Think so?
Hamas tends to make those that oppose them disappear- along with their family members. There is a reason Hamas has been in power since 2006 in Gaza. It isn't because the majority of Gazans love them.
Wow, just wow.
If the IDF can't defeat Hamas/Hezbollah how do you expect unarmed Palestinian civilians to do so? Mass charge and hope that some make it past the intense gunfire, grenades, and missiles Hamas and Israel are lobbing at each other. Those that are lucky enough to make it into the tunnels and then try to get past the traps, and a far better trained and armed force that knows the tunnels and all of the choke points. How many do you think will reach the leaders- which are not even in Gaza but Qatar? That is if the organizers of this rebellion aren't ratted out to Hamas by sympathizers still within the civilian population.
Credibility with who? What country or countries are going to step in an oppose Israel (meaning physically force them to comply) to make sure the Palestinians get treated fairly? There has been more than enough opportunity to do so. Yet crickets from the entire world. Some will play lip service every time incursions by the IDF happen- but nothing is ever done.
The Palestinians have no oil or resources to develop or exploit. They are not technologically advanced. Whatever can they offer to any nation to challenge Israel?
Hamas, Hezbollah, PA, Iran, and Israel don't care about the Palestinians. It is something they all can agree on. Nothing is going to change that.
The Palestinians are done (both in Gaza and the West Bank). It is just a matter how long Israel wants to drag things out.
Pretending otherwise is just a waste of time, money, and potentially US personnel.
Here are a few suggestions! (Arab countries are shown in Green, but the map if wider would also show all the non-Arab Muslim majority countries-- there about 55 Muslim majority countries in all in the world.)
WTF?
Gaza Marine is a natural gas field off the coast of the Gaza Strip . The Gaza Marine natural gas field is located in water about 36 kilometres (22 mi) offshore at a depth of 2,000 feet (610 m). [1] The field was discovered in 2000 by BG Group and it is estimated to contain more than 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Despite the devastation, 57% of respondents in Gaza and 82% in the West Bank believe Hamas was correct in launching the October attack, the poll indicated.
At the same time, 44% in the West Bank said they supported Hamas, up from just 12% in September. In Gaza, the militants enjoyed 42% support, up slightly from 38% three months ago.
You are correct-- Hamas, Hizb'Allah, the PA, and Iran don't care about the Palestinians.
(But why are you blaming Israel for that? Seems a bit one sided to me)
Yes, and that one tiny speck is one too many to a large number of people across the world.
Good reason for Israel to take over Gaza
Gaza may be a prime location for a new glass plant!
And that large number is OTHER THAN the Arabs/Muslims. And now you can see the people's hidden and covered up antisemitism come up front.
How much pain did we put Germany through in WWII?
I wonder if many Gazans have changed their mind about the October 7th attack on Israel (that ended the ceasefire that had been in effect).
I suppose that attack "seemed like a good idea at the time"..????
On 7 October 2023, the paramilitary wings of Hamas , Palestinian Islamic Jihad , PRC , PFLP and DFLP launched a series of coordinated armed incursions into the Gaza envelope of neighboring Israel , the first invasion of Israeli home territory since the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 . The attacks, on a Saturday, initiated the Israel–Hamas war ,
The day was labeled the bloodiest in Israel's history and the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust .
Some of the militants wore body cameras to record the acts, presumably for propaganda purposes. [
I wonder if many Gazans have changed their mind about the October 7th attack on Israel (that ended the ceasefire that had been in effect).
I suppose that attack "seemed like a good idea at the time"..????
Testimonies described the perpetrators using shovels,[326] beheading victims, and even playing with severed body parts.[324] The BBC reported that "Videos of naked and bloodied women filmed by Hamas on the day of the attack, and photographs of bodies taken at the sites afterwards, suggest that women were sexually targeted by their attackers."[327]
Forensic examinations showed signs of sexual abuse, mutilations, broken limbs, and broken pelvises,[328][329]
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described some of the evidence given by the same ZAKA volunteer:[354] "a young boy and girl, 6 and 8 years old, and their parents around the breakfast table. The father's eye gouged out in front of his kids.
The mother's breast cut off, the girl's foot amputated, the boy's fingers cut off before they were executed"; and "a baby, an infant, riddled with bullets. Soldiers beheaded. Young people burned alive. I could go on, but it's simply depravity in the worst imaginable way
The Israeli occupation ended in 2005. In all that time they never got rid of Hamas.
Or Japan
"During his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden will announce an "emergency" military mission to construct a port in the Mediterranean Sea on Gaza's coast to get humanitarian aid in, senior officials said Thursday."
Get the aid into whom? I want more details then just "Look at what I am doing for the Palestinians" What are they doing to make sure the supplies don't get into the hands of Hamas? That is the issue Israel has had all along. This could be a good thing, it could also be a matter of the US giving aid and comfort to Hamas because Joe feels he is losing votes of the antisemites of the party.
Yep, Hamas will let Biden and his minions spend our tax dollars to build said port and when it is up and running will take it for their own use.
And the talking heads on MSNBC will praise brain dead brandon as a humanitarian for Palestinians so he can get a few more votes. Pathetic.
I don't get how anyone in good conscience can vote for Biden.
I'm sure this port won't make it easier for Iran to deliver guns to the terrorists.
You really think Israel won't destroy the port first? That is if they even allow it to be built in the first place. There is still a matter of a full Israeli blockade of Gaza going on. Which country wants to be the first to face down Israeli warships?
While you may not be aware of it, Gaza is actually bordered by two countries, not one. So even if there was a 100% air-tight blockade by Israel, it would be ineffective-- as long as that other country let stuff in.
So how come you are implying that Israel can sucessfully blockade Gaza 100%?
Egypt seems to have Raffa sewed up pretty tight.
LOL. You mean you take seriously Ronin2's comments about this war?
Any thoughts on the Egyptian blockade of Gaza?
(Or were you not aware of that?)
Gaza is not self sufficient-- they can't grow all the food they need.
So if that's the case-- and if Israel has totally blockaded Gaza since they ended the occupation way back in 2005-- how have so many Gazans survived for so many years?
(How many years can people survive without food?)
Professional beggars on the international stage.
Yep, Rashida Tlaib might even fly the Stars and Stripes under the Palestinian flag flying at her office.
Wouldn't surprise me.
Krishna, I can't open anything from the New York Post. Can you save the photo to your picture library and then post it from there? If that's too much trouble can you please tell me what the picture is, I'm really curious?
Okay, never mind, I'm sorry for being so much trouble.
He's succumbing to the pressure from the anti-semites in this country by showing he does care about the people of Gaza. And here I thought buying votes with my money was gone....................../S
Sorry , one can not be an anti semite, and also care about the people of Gaza.
One cannot say they support Israel and then give aid and comfort to Hamas.
So you would rather starve innocent people to death
How does giving food to hamas help innocent people? So you would rather give aid to hamas and hope it gets to innocent people and not help hamas get stronger so they can massacre more Israelis?
“So you would rather starve innocent people to death”
We have innocent Americans starving and in need of help. Wouldn’t it be better to help our fellow Americans first?
Your money?
Why are you giving money to Biden?
Tax money. Biden isn't paying for this from campaign funds (none of which would be mine) or personally. But I think you knew that.
We should just annex Gaza. We’re doing more for them than Hamas ever has.
Sorry, Israel has eyes on Gaza. I don't think they would appreciate it.
Nor would the Palestinians living there. They don't exactly love the US either. They know full well who is paying for all of the munitions, missiles, and armaments Israel is dumping on them.
We
ho wants to annex Gaza?
many people are unaware of it, but for a while Israel actually occupied Gaza-- then they poulled out-- they didn't want it.
(When they pulled out they tried to get Egypt to re-occupy it-- but even Egypt refused! Why...????)
I'm an imperialist. If we're going to go to all the expense and trouble of dealing with these countries around the world, I think they should just become our property.
Good idea, get return on our investment
Well, even if someone was in favor of annexing countries, Gaza would be a bad choice.
They are nothing but trouble. (many people are unaware of it, but they were actually occupied by Israel. But they were so much trouble that Israel-- of their own accord-- totally withdrew.
They are nothing but trouble. (many people are unaware of it, but they were actually occupied by Israel. But they were so much trouble that Israel-- of their own accord-- totally withdrew.
That was way back in 2005. Israel ended their occupation. But they were worried about the rise of terrors there. So they asked the previous occupiers (Egypt) to take control of Gaza again. But Egypt refused-- they knew Gaza was nothing but trouble.
So Gazans took over, there was a brief "mini-war" between the PLO and Hamas-- then a legitimate election. The people voted for Hamas and they've been ruling Gaza ever since.
But Krishna, look how many people all around the world, and especially on American campuses prefer to support those DECLARED rapists of teenagers, bakers of live infants, gougers out of eyes and killers of innocent civilians in their beds, takers and torturers of hostages, users of human shields, proven liars about their losses and Israel's tactics, miserable examples of human animals (but animals are not at all as cruel) RATHER than Israelis who have been described by many including Col. Richard Kemp as being the most careful about preventing civilian losses in a war than ANY COUNTRY IN ANY WAR IN HISTORY. So let's not hear about Hiroshima or Nagasaki or Dresden about how many lives they saved yet be critical of Israel.
Meanwhile American citizens go hungry.
Bidenomics.
Biden should be tougher.
One truck of food for every hostage released.
No releases of hostages, no food or medical supplies.
Hey, Joe, stop trying to placate terrorists.
Or we could resort to cruel and usual punishment.
Send em C-Rats instead of MRE’s
He's not trying to placate terrorists!
Rather, he's trying to placate the large Muslim population in the swing state of Michigan . . .
Sorry, not buying the spin.
I consider a lot of politicians to be whores for themselves rather than for the people they represent.
The supporters of Israel should see this and be smart enough to counter their influence
Yep, but just don't give em the ham and lima beans!
Yep.
OK!
And we've been told it was the previous POTUS that would get us into another war.
Not just any old war, either, but I remember predictions of a third World War.
This and the Ukraine debacle may be it. And it's all on Traitor Joe.
OMG-- not that!
I mean if "we've been told" something-- then it must be true!
Which war would Trump supposedly get us into? The Russian War on the Ukraine? Haiti's war on . . . itself? The War on the Rohingya Muslems? Israel-Hamas? The war on The Houthis?
Which of these wars would Trump allegedly get us into if elected?
Did you miss the part of my comment that said "we've been told"? I never made that claim. Maybe ask those making that moronic claim.
I have come to the conclusion that what some of us actually write doesn't matter, things will be invented and then argued ad nauseum.
I have to. It's not like it was a hard conclusion to make. Just read some peoples comments that regurgitate the same nonsense day in and day out over several articles.
IMO, Israel's (Netanyahu) goal to to drive all the Palestinians out of the West Bank, which they are doing now and it will become part of Israel the next step will be Gaza, it may take longer but it will be part of Israel.
In your opinion? I have an opinion as well, but then I don't have a crystal ball.
The Israelis don't want Gaza. They had occupied it and left-- totally of their choice-- no one forced them to leave.
Man, if Hamas just announced they were going to cut carbon emissions, the Biden Admin might try and get them in NATO no matter how many Israelis they slaughter. As we learned from John Kerry yesterday, all Russia has to do is cut emissions and people will feel better about what they are doing in Ukraine. Same principle probably applies to Hamas.
We might have to build and secure a port for Haiti as well. Gangs have blocked the roads to Haiti’s capital. They have attacked the airport and surrounded it stopping operations. Now they have stopped the city’s port, damaged equipment and shut the power to the port down ceasing operations. They have grown their gang manpower after attacking two prisons last weekend, freeing over two thousand prisoners. If conditions don’t change, food and medicine deliveries will end.
The country is about to collapse.
Again...
Yes, not in the news yet, but a Marine security team has deployed to Haiti this week. The State Department requested this action.
Marines boost security at US Embassy in Haiti, evacuate non-essential personnel - Jamaica Observer
Yes, it seems that the world and the US have given up on Haiti as it spirals into hell.
Some great hotel rates in Port-au- Prince oh the other hand.
I take note of the picture at the top of this article. It MUST be current because it shows aid being air-dropped. Of the innumerable buildings that it shows I could see only ONE that appeared to be a DAMAGED BUILDING, but at least it's still standing. It kind of makes we wonder why all the photos that are circulated by Hamas and its information agency and by the PRESS generally are picked up and reproduced by pretty well all the media ONLY shows rubble, destroyed and shell buildings in Gaza. That, and the story that Hamas told about the bombing of the hospital in the north being caused by Israel, when IN FACT it has been established that the bomb was a failed Islamic Jihad missile, and the fact of the numbers of Gazans killed almost never points out how many were Hamas militants or its protectors but always EMPHASIZES what percentage were women and children....but the fucking bleeding hearts in the world WANT to believe those fucking terrorist teenager-raping live infant-baking monsters who gouge out the eyes of and shoot adult civilians in their beds, take hostages and parade them naked through the streets, and use human shields and hide among the people they are supposed to protect INSTEAD OF those who have been praised by credible persons like Col. Richard Kemp for doing more to protect the citizens in a war than any nation in the world has ever done. Let's not talk about Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Dresden.
You forgot Hamburg and Tokyo.
Just did a little research. The death tolls from American/Allied bombings during WW2 where the militants DID NOT HIDE AMONG THE CIVILIANS AND USE THEM AS HUMAN SHIELDS:
Hiroshima - 70,000
Nagasaki - 40,000
Dresden - 20,000 - 35,000 (although it is said it could actually have been as many as 250,000)
Hamburg - 42,600
Tokyo - 100,000
But..but..but...GAZA!!! It's interesting to take note of the "righteousness" of the American bleeding hearts on NT.