US plan
Maritime Corridor to the Gaza Strip: How to Build a Temporary Port?
The port in Gaza City is in a desolate condition due to the war
© Mohammed Ali/XinHua/DPA
The details are still unclear and the project is not without risk – but the USA is planning to build an emergency port in the Gaza Strip to supply the suffering population with relief supplies. How exactly does this work?
Joe Biden’s announcement is also made for election campaign reasons, but above all it has solid humanitarian reasons: To enable supplies to the Gaza Strip, A “maritime corridor” will be set up between Cyprus and the Palestinian territory this weekend. The US military is building a temporary port on the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip, as the US President announced in his speech to the nation. This means that humanitarian aid can be brought to the war zone by sea. Food, water, medicine and emergency accommodation then come to the Gaza Strip via Cyprus.
Infographic: Aid deliveries to Gaza planned by sea
© DPA Infographic / Picture Alliance
What is the supply situation in the Gaza Strip at the moment?
Catastrophic. According to the UN World Food Program (WFP), all 2.2 million people living there are on the brink of famine. The reason is massive bombings and a ground offensive by Israel in the coastal strip. The war against the radical Islamic Hamas is a response to the largest massacre of Jews by Palestinian fighters since World War II. The US government began targeting the civilian population a few days ago Deliver aid supplies to Gaza from the air. The planned emergency port is expected to increase humanitarian aid by “hundreds of additional truckloads” per day, Biden said.
Who exactly should build the port?
The US military will set up the temporary landing site together with as yet unnamed international partners. The European Union has already announced that it will work on establishing a maritime corridor for the Gaza Strip. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen therefore traveled to Cyprus to view the relevant infrastructure there. The EU Commission President announced that the corridor will be set up in the next few days.
What role does Cyprus play?
The island is located about 370 kilometers northwest of the Gaza Strip and is the EU state closest to the region. Cyprus has been campaigning for months to transport aid supplies directly to the Gaza Strip by sea.
How do you build a temporary port?
The details are not yet clear. According to U.S. government officials, a temporary pier will be built as the main feature of the port. Construction will take several weeks and will be done in collaboration with local “allies” as well as the United Nations and humanitarian organizations. The Military technology site “The Warzone” writes, the so-called Expeditionary Transfer Dock ships are used to transport the cargo of large ships on hovercraft. The pier would not have to be overly large for such boats.
What are the disadvantages of the port facility?
The stationary building could become a target for attacks by Hamas, which continues to control large parts of the Gaza Strip. So far, the terrorists have not shied away from waging their war on the backs of the civilian population. Protecting relief supplies from looting could also become a problem. There are currently no plans to deploy soldiers on site.
What does Israel say about the plans?
In his speech, Joe Biden clearly criticized Israel’s conduct of the war and called on the country not to ignore humanitarian aid. According to a Jerusalem government official, Israel “fully supported” the construction of the temporary dock. The initiative will “enable the expansion of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip,” according to the Foreign Ministry. The relief supplies delivered this way should also be subjected to “security checks according to Israeli standards”.