Biden Will Order Military Port For Gaza Humanitarian Aid

 

President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with his Competition Council in the State Dining Room of the White House on March 5, 2024 in Washington, DC

President Joe Biden will order the U.S. military to establish a humanitarian aid operation in Gaza as part of his State of the Union address Thursday, White House officials said in a call with reporters, as Biden seeks to quell criticism of his Israel-Hamas war policies.

Biden will order the U.S. military to construct a temporary port along Gaza’s coast to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid, according to the officials, including one who said the operation will not involve “boots on the ground.”

The U.S. Navy will construct a pier and adjoining causeway in the coming weeks where aid will arrive via Cyprus.

The order comes as Biden is expected to press for a cease-fire in tonight’s address—seen as a crucial moment for his re-election campaign as polls show Americans are largely dissatisfied with his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

Biden delivers the address as his hopes for a temporary cease-fire by the start of Ramadan on Sunday were thrown into uncertainty this week by stalled negotiations.

CRUCIAL QUOTE

“The President has directed that we look at all options, that we not wait for the Israelis, and that we are pursuing every channel possible to get assistance into Gaza,” a senior administration official told reporters. “So we will do it by air, by sea, by land — however we can get the maximum amount in possible.”

KEY BACKGROUND

Biden’s State of the Union address comes as negotiations for a six-week cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war to allow for for the release of about 40 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza hit a roadblock earlier this week. Biden had previously expressed hopes for a cease-fire by the start of Ramadan on Sunday. The president has faced intense pressure from activists and progressive lawmakers to call for a permanent cease-fire as the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 30,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Biden, who initially vowed unwavering support for Israel after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, has become increasingly critical of its military tactics and has urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take a more measured approach to the counterattacks to spare civilian lives.

TANGENT

Activists in multiple states have urged Democratic primary voters to select “uncommitted” on their ballots in protest of Biden’s Israel-Hamas war policies and in a show of solidarity with Palestinians. Tens of thousands of voters in Minnesota, Massachusetts, Colorado and North Carolina heeded those calls on Super Tuesday, while more than 100,000 Michigan voters, accounting for 13.2% of the vote, selected “uncommitted” on their ballots last week.

BIG NUMBER

57. That’s the percentage of registered voters in a New York Times/Siena poll who said they disapprove of Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, while 46% trust former President Donald Trump over Biden to handle the issue.