Using an established military capability that can build and deploy the structure without requiring American troops on the ground, the Pentagon released details of its plans to build a temporary pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip on Friday in an effort to assist with the flow of more than two million meals into the territory each day.
About a thousand troops will be sent to the Mediterranean Sea over the course of the next sixty days in order to construct a floating platform where aid ships can discharge supplies onto smaller military ships. These vessels will then transport the supplies to a causeway that is connected to the beach, where trucks will be able to pick them up and deliver them throughout Gaza, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters.
According to Ryder, the scenario under consideration entails the deployment of American military forces aboard military boats offshore, but it does not call for their landing.
During the State of the Union Address on Thursday night, President Joe Biden made the first announcement about the endeavor.
The most recent usage of the capability, known as Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore, occurred during Exercise Talisman Sabre, an annual Australian exercise, according to Ryder.
It will be necessary to build the modular causeway offshore before driving it to the beach and anchoring it there.
He said, "The Pentagon is identifying units to deploy to the Mediterranean to start construction, which will include soldiers from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia's 7th Transportation Brigade."
Though Ryder said that Israel is involved in the planning process and might provide security using its own soldiers, it is still unclear how U.S. Central Command would be able to defend the causeway itself and the offshore pier from Hamas strikes.
"On the other hand, one would hope that this international mission to deliver aid to people in need could happen and be unhindered if Hamas truly does care about the Palestinian people," Ryder added.
The causeway has the potential to significantly enhance the volume of assistance entering Gaza, in addition to the daily influx of vehicles across the Israeli border and the continuous airdrops by US military personnel.
According to Ryder, the United States delivered its fourth supply delivery on Friday using a C-130 Hercules. A truck's load across land is about equal to that of each aircraft. The number of assistance trucks entering Gaza each day has decreased to 100 or less, according to the Pentagon, despite the fact that during the Israel-Hamas conflict, up to 200 vehicles did so at times.
According to Jonathan Lord, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, the temporary port might fill in some of the gaps, but it would present the same distribution challenges as help coming in by land, he told Military Times on Friday.
"What are the methods for obtaining aid that is not only onshore but also safely dispersed to all in need, without being obstructed by criminal gangs, vigilantes, Hamas insurgents, or other groups that could exploit security lapses?" he asked.
Though those specifics are not decided, Ryder indicated that non-governmental groups, the UN, and other regional partners may be enlisted to collect and deliver the supplies onshore.
The assistance inspection procedure is another problem that has caused a delay in land supplies.
The Israelis would contend, if you asked, that they are not the bottleneck. On a daily basis, they are screening more vehicles than are really coming in, according to Lord. "And if you ask them what they think caused that delta, they would say that there are not enough drivers among the groups that operate in Gaza."
Others, including two US senators, claim that Israel's "arbitrary" and "cumbersome" screening procedure is causing delays. The senators made these remarks on a visit to Egypt in January to examine the Rafah border crossing.
"Therefore, this raises the question: Is the actual issue one of a distribution or an aid deficit?" says the Lord. "Most likely, we will find out because, if you can send aid worth containerships to Gaza, you will quickly learn the nature of your interior and logistical supply lines, as well as whether you have the capacity to distribute it effectively in a timely manner."
That being said, Lord said that, as Biden indicated in his remarks on Thursday night, the United States would keep applying pressure to the Israeli government to loosen limitations on humanitarian supplies entering the country and to allow additional border crossings.
About a thousand troops will be sent to the Mediterranean Sea over the course of the next sixty days in order to construct a floating platform where aid ships can discharge supplies onto smaller military ships. These vessels will then transport the supplies to a causeway that is connected to the beach, where trucks will be able to pick them up and deliver them throughout Gaza, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters.
According to Ryder, the scenario under consideration entails the deployment of American military forces aboard military boats offshore, but it does not call for their landing.
During the State of the Union Address on Thursday night, President Joe Biden made the first announcement about the endeavor.
The most recent usage of the capability, known as Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore, occurred during Exercise Talisman Sabre, an annual Australian exercise, according to Ryder.
It will be necessary to build the modular causeway offshore before driving it to the beach and anchoring it there.
He said, "The Pentagon is identifying units to deploy to the Mediterranean to start construction, which will include soldiers from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia's 7th Transportation Brigade."
Though Ryder said that Israel is involved in the planning process and might provide security using its own soldiers, it is still unclear how U.S. Central Command would be able to defend the causeway itself and the offshore pier from Hamas strikes.
"On the other hand, one would hope that this international mission to deliver aid to people in need could happen and be unhindered if Hamas truly does care about the Palestinian people," Ryder added.
The causeway has the potential to significantly enhance the volume of assistance entering Gaza, in addition to the daily influx of vehicles across the Israeli border and the continuous airdrops by US military personnel.
According to Ryder, the United States delivered its fourth supply delivery on Friday using a C-130 Hercules. A truck's load across land is about equal to that of each aircraft. The number of assistance trucks entering Gaza each day has decreased to 100 or less, according to the Pentagon, despite the fact that during the Israel-Hamas conflict, up to 200 vehicles did so at times.
According to Jonathan Lord, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, the temporary port might fill in some of the gaps, but it would present the same distribution challenges as help coming in by land, he told Military Times on Friday.
"What are the methods for obtaining aid that is not only onshore but also safely dispersed to all in need, without being obstructed by criminal gangs, vigilantes, Hamas insurgents, or other groups that could exploit security lapses?" he asked.
Though those specifics are not decided, Ryder indicated that non-governmental groups, the UN, and other regional partners may be enlisted to collect and deliver the supplies onshore.
The assistance inspection procedure is another problem that has caused a delay in land supplies.
The Israelis would contend, if you asked, that they are not the bottleneck. On a daily basis, they are screening more vehicles than are really coming in, according to Lord. "And if you ask them what they think caused that delta, they would say that there are not enough drivers among the groups that operate in Gaza."
Others, including two US senators, claim that Israel's "arbitrary" and "cumbersome" screening procedure is causing delays. The senators made these remarks on a visit to Egypt in January to examine the Rafah border crossing.
"Therefore, this raises the question: Is the actual issue one of a distribution or an aid deficit?" says the Lord. "Most likely, we will find out because, if you can send aid worth containerships to Gaza, you will quickly learn the nature of your interior and logistical supply lines, as well as whether you have the capacity to distribute it effectively in a timely manner."
That being said, Lord said that, as Biden indicated in his remarks on Thursday night, the United States would keep applying pressure to the Israeli government to loosen limitations on humanitarian supplies entering the country and to allow additional border crossings.
