Devendra Kumar
The United States is taking a bold step to increase aid donations to the Gaza Strip by establishing a sea delivery route, bypassing Israeli controls over land shipments. The decision comes as a result of President Joe Biden’s recent criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the war against Hamas in Gaza. The war has led to widespread hunger among Palestinians, with the number of aid trucks entering Gaza by land dwindling significantly due to Israeli restrictions and security issues.
To address this crisis, the US Army vessel General Frank S Besson is on its way to the Mediterranean with equipment to build a temporary pier in Gaza, which is expected to be operational within weeks. The European Union, along with the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries, has backed the sea corridor, and UN agencies and the Red Cross will play a role in the delivery of aid. The opening of the sea corridor marks a significant shift in the international response to the Gaza crisis, as it is a direct challenge to Israel’s control over the flow of goods into the territory.
Despite the new push for getting more aid into Gaza, senior aid officials warn that air and sea deliveries cannot make up for the shortage of supply routes on land. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is expected to worsen, as the population of 2.3 million is largely cut off from aid shipments. The situation has been exacerbated by the war, which has devastated large parts of Gaza, displaced about 80% of the population, and set off a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The US and regional mediators Egypt and Qatar had hoped to have a six-week ceasefire in place by the start of Ramadan, but talks appear to be stalled, with Hamas holding out for assurances that a temporary truce will lead to an end of hostilities. Israel has welcomed the sea deliveries, stating that it will inspect Gaza-bound cargo before it leaves a staging area in nearby Cyprus. The use of the sea corridor is a significant shift in the international response to the Gaza crisis, and it remains to be seen how it will impact the situation on the ground.