Biden to announce US military-led mission to build port on Gaza coast to boost aid

President Biden will announce during his State of the Union address Thursday that he’s directing the U.S. military to lead the construction of a port along the coast of Gaza on the Mediterranean Sea to boost the amount of aid getting to Palestinian civilians.

“We know the aid flowing into Gaza is nowhere near enough and nowhere near fast enough. The president will make clear again this evening that we all need to do more, and the United States is doing more,” a senior administration official said on a call with reporters.

The port would be able to receive large ships that can bring in food, water, medicine and other supplies into Gaza, which has been under fire for months as Israeli forces carry out shellings and military operations in response to Hamas’s attacks last October.

Biden will direct the U.S. military to undertake the mission alongside allies and humanitarian partners, a senior administration official said. The project will take “a number of weeks to plan and execute” and will involve forces already in the region or that will be there soon.

Senior administration officials said the project will not require any U.S. boots on the ground in Gaza. Instead, the plan involves U.S. personnel on military vessels offshore who will not be required to go ashore to install the port.

Initial shipments of supplies would come via Cyprus, enabled by the U.S. military and partners. Officials said the U.S. would work with the United Nations and other humanitarian partners to distribute aid across Gaza once it reaches the port.

A senior administration official said the U.S. worked “very closely with the Israelis in developing this initiative.”

Biden has tried to walk a fine line in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks last October that killed about 1,200 Israelis.

He has remained adamant that Israel has a right to defend itself and go after Hamas, which governs Gaza, and the U.S. has provided aid to Israel.

The president has simultaneously called on Israel to do more to protect civilians and allow aid into Gaza via border crossings. The U.S. in recent days began conducting airdrops into Gaza to get meals and other supplies into the area, with more drops planned in the coming days.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed in fighting in Gaza, and Democrats have become increasingly outspoken with their concerns that Israel is not doing enough to prevent civilian casualties.

Some progressives have pressured Biden to call for a permanent cease-fire, but the administration has instead backed a temporary pause in fighting that would last at least six weeks and allow hostages to get out and more aid to get into Gaza. Biden is expected Thursday night to reiterate his call for a cease-fire and put the onus on Hamas to accept the terms.

Biden’s speech comes days after Super Tuesday, when more than a quarter million voters cast ballots for “uncommitted” or “no preference” in Democratic primaries, largely viewed as a protest of Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

The protest vote netted 11 delegates in Minnesota, though Biden still won the primary easily and racked up 64 delegates.