As President Joe Biden ordered the US military to establish a temporary port in Gaza for aid deliveries, officials acknowledged it would be a “number of weeks” before aid deliveries could begin, but said the administration would not “be waiting on the Israelis”, AFP reports.
“We’re not waiting on the Israelis. This is a moment for American leadership,” one official told reporters, in a sign of growing White House frustration with Israel’s failure to allow more relief into Gaza.
The officials underlined that the announcement will not involve any US boots on the ground, as military personnel will stay offshore while allies manage onshore operations.
“This port, the main feature of which is a temporary pier, will provide the capacity for hundreds of additional truckloads of assistance each day,” a senior administration official told reporters.
US officials said the “significant capability will take a number of weeks to plan and execute,” and would involve a maritime aid corridor from Cyprus. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is expected in the Mediterranean island on Friday for talks on the planned corridor, which the Cyprus government has been pushing for months.