PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES:President Joe Biden has ordered the US military to set up a temporary port to send aid to Gaza, officials said Thursday, amid growing warnings of famine after five months of war.
Hopes for a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas before the start of Ramadan have dimmed after Hamas negotiators left talks with mediators in Egypt to consult with the movement’s leadership in Qatar.
The Health Ministry of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip reported that 83 more people were killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 30,800, most of them women and children.
People in the Gaza Strip don’t have gas to cook food. They don’t have flour or rice and children dying and fainting in the streets because of hunger.
Biden is expected to announce an aid center for Gaza in his keynote address to Congress later Thursday, officials said, adding that it would be a decisive move against Israel despite the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
US officials acknowledged that it would be “number of weeks” before aid could begin shipping to the planned new port, but said the administration will not wait for the Israelis.
Officials emphasized that the announcement does not include US intervention on land, as military personnel will remain at sea while allies manage operations on land.
The main feature of the port will be a temporary berth that can support hundreds of additional trucks a day, a senior government official told reporters.
US officials said critical capabilities will take several weeks to plan and execute and include a maritime assistance corridor from Cyprus.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due to hold a consultation on the proposed corridor on the Mediterranean island today (Friday).
President Biden has asked Hamas to accept the ceasefire plan with Israel before the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
The White House said the proposed deal would halt the fighting for “at least six weeks,” allow for the “release of sick, wounded, elderly and female hostages” and allow for increased humanitarian aid.
But on Thursday, a Hamas delegation left Cairo to express displeasure with Israel’s response so far and to consult with the movement’s leadership in Qatar.
