(NewsNation) — Israel announced it is welcoming President Joe Biden’s plan to establish a temporary pier on the coast of Gaza for aid shipments, which would increase the flow of humanitarian aid for the territory amid the Israel-Hamas war.
“Israel welcomes the opening of the maritime corridor from Cyprus to the Gaza Strip. It will help increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza after proper security checks. Not only do we welcome it — we encourage additional countries to make use of this initiative,” Israeli spokesperson Eylon Levy said Friday.
The president announced the plan during his State of the Union Thursday, directing the U.S. military to establish the temporary pier.
“A temporary pier would enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day,” Biden said.
“And Israel must also do its part. Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the crossfire.”
Biden called on Israel to do more to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.
“Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority,” Biden said.
Biden acknowledged his own longstanding relationship with Israel as he called for a two-state solution as “the only real solution over time.”
The White House previously said this temporary pier would facilitate the delivery of hundreds of additional truckloads of shipments of food, medicine and other essentials daily.
The pier is intended to get desperately needed aid into Gaza, where the United Nations has said that more than half a million people are facing “catastrophic” deprivation and near-starvation.
Notably, the administration has emphasized this operation will not require American troops to build the pier, stating, “We are not planning for this to be an operation that would require U.S. boots on the ground.”
This will be executed from offshore, utilizing military personnel on military vessels. The move provides one more layer to the extraordinary dynamic that’s emerged as the United States has had to go around Israel, its main Mideast ally, and find ways to get aid into Gaza, including through airdrops.
It remains to be seen whether the announcement will alleviate any of the political pressure that has built up on Biden from his left.
The Pentagon is expected to provide further details on the number of U.S. military personnel involved. Some are already in the region, while others will be deployed soon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
