A US military ship, the General Frank S Besson, has set sail from Virginia towards the Middle East to build a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza, in response to President Joe Biden’s pledge to provide aid to the region. The UN has warned of an impending famine in Gaza, with children starving to death. To address the urgent need for humanitarian assistance, the US and Jordan conducted an airdrop of over 11,500 meals on Sunday.
The US ship is carrying equipment to establish the temporary pier, with a projected construction time of up to 60 days with the help of 1,000 troops. Charities have expressed concern that the timeline may be too long for those suffering in Gaza. In light of the aid delivery challenges by land and air, the EU has announced a new sea route from Cyprus to Gaza, which will allow aid to sail directly to the region.
The Open Arms aid ship, provided by the Spanish charity of the same name and loaded with food from US charity World Central Kitchen, is ready to depart for Gaza. While details of aid delivery remain uncertain, efforts are being made to establish a pier at the destination point to receive the aid. Israel has expressed support for the ocean initiative and has pledged to carry out security checks on aid in Cyprus before delivering it to Gaza.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in a worsening humanitarian crisis, with over a quarter of the population facing severe food insecurity. Western countries are urging Israel to expand aid deliveries through more routes and crossings. The situation in the north of Gaza, which has been largely cut off from assistance, is particularly dire, with an estimated 300,000 Palestinians facing food and water shortages.
Despite accusations of hindering aid efforts, Israel denies using starvation as a tool of war and refutes claims made by an independent UN expert. The complex situation in Gaza continues to unfold, with international efforts underway to provide much-needed assistance to those in need.
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