WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — President Joe Biden addressed the Israel-Hamas war during his State of the Union Thursday, directing the U.S. military to establish a temporary pier on the coast of Gaza for aid shipments.
“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.”
Few Republicans joined in the applause from Democrats as 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 will facilitate the delivery of hundreds of additional truckloads of shipments of food, medicine and other essentials daily.
Notably, the administration has emphasized that 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.
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.
Biden last week first raised the idea of establishing a “marine corridor,” saying the U.S. was working with allies on how it might provide assistance from the sea to those in Gaza.
American Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, told the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee he had briefed officials on such a maritime option. Also Thursday, the U.S. conducted a third airdrop in the northern part of Gaza, where there is no Israeli presence. Kurilla said Central Command has provided options for increasing the number of trucks taking aid to those areas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.