U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that it is up to Hamas to decide whether to accept the agreement, adding, “There is no time for stalling; Israel has made significant concessions regarding the detained agreement proposal,” according to Cairo News Channel.
Blinken added that a maritime pier off the coast of Gaza will be operational in one week, noting that America cannot support a military operation in Palestinian Rafah in the absence of a humanitarian plan. The U.S. Secretary of State continued: “The United States’ stance on Palestinian Rafah has not changed, and I have proposed other solutions to Israel to avoid an attack on Palestinian Rafah.”
The Israeli occupation continues its aggression on the Gaza Strip by land, sea, and air, since October 7th last year, leaving more than 33,000 martyrs, mostly children and women, and over 76,000 injuries in an ongoing tally. Thousands of victims remain under the rubble and on the roads, as the occupation prevents access to ambulance and civil defense crews.
Civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, are subjected to serious violations of international humanitarian law by Israeli forces. Reports indicate the bombing of civilian homes, destruction of infrastructure and civil facilities, and the use of various types of weapons, including those internationally banned, such as cluster bombs and white phosphorus, resulting in severe losses of civilian lives and properties.
The United States has initiated construction of a temporary maritime pier off the coast of Gaza, which is expected to be operational by early May 2024. This initiative, announced by President Joe Biden, is designed to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid directly to Gaza via the sea, thereby bypassing some of the challenges associated with land routes currently restricted by Israeli controls.
The pier, constructed by the U.S. military, will not involve American troops on the ground in Gaza. Instead, the logistics and aid distribution will be managed from off-shore positions, with coordination involving the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) to ensure security. The IDF will help anchor the pier and provide protection for the operations, although no U.S. forces will go ashore. The aid will be transported to the pier by small ferry ships and then distributed throughout Gaza by drivers contracted by the UN’s World Food Programme.
