“Hundreds of extra truckloads”: this is how the temporary port in Gaza is supposed to work

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In view of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, goods must now arrive by sea in addition to air deliveries. In peacetime, Gaza is mainly supplied via land routes, but most of these routes are currently blocked due to the Israeli military operation.

The US military, together with international partners, wants to set up an artificial port on Palestinian territory. Large ships loaded with aid should be able to dock at the main element, the pier, as a senior US government official announced on Thursday. The capacity amounts to “hundreds of additional truckloads of relief supplies per day.”

“Tonight, I am directing the United States Armed Forces to conduct an emergency mission to establish a temporary port on the coast of Gaza that can accommodate large ships carrying food, water, medicine and emergency shelter,” said Joe Biden, 81. in his speech. State of the Union address to Congress in Washington on Thursday.

Aid supplies are being collected in Cyprus

Construction will take time and be carried out in collaboration with local allies, the United Nations and humanitarian organizations, according to senior US government officials.

According to American circles, engineers will work from ships off the old port of Gaza City in the Rimal district – so that American troops do not have to go ashore, as “The Guardian” writes.

The existing port of Gaza mainly serves as a base for fishermen and the Palestinian coast guard. The movement of goods there has been blocked by Israel since Hamas came to power in the Gaza Strip in 2007.

After the temporary harbor has been built for it, the structure is moved towards land and anchored. As Reuters reports, citing an Israeli official, Israel welcomes and “fully supports” the temporary port.

If European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has her way, the planned maritime aid corridor from Cyprus to the Gaza Strip should open on Sunday, if possible. “We are close to opening this corridor, hopefully this Sunday,” Von der Leyen said at the port of Larnaca on Friday.

The aid deliveries are to be collected in the Cypriot port city, where they can also be inspected by Israeli officials.

NGOs criticize that the distribution of goods after landing is not well thought out. There is a lack of drivers and trucks in the devastated Gaza Strip and there is also a risk of looting. (AFP/SDA/dmo)

Source: Blick