CAIRO, March 10: A US military ship is heading to the Middle East with supplies to build a temporary dock off the coast of Gaza, the US military says.
The aid ship under the command of General Frank S. Bensen left the US state of Virginia on Saturday for the Middle East.
The ship’s departure followed Biden’s statement that the US would build a sea harbor to carry aid to Gaza.
The United Nations had already sounded the alarm that famine was imminent in Gaza, and people were dying of hunger as delivering aid by land and air had already proven disastrous.
According to the US Central Command, the ship was dispatched 36 hours after Biden’s statement. The ship carries aid items to ensure that essential humanitarian needs are met.
The Pentagon says it could take 60 days to build a pier with 1,000 troops, and no one will go ashore during that time, while charity organizations say that the victims of Gaza cannot wait that long.
There is no port infrastructure in Gaza, so the US will initially use the Cyprus port and take all necessary steps to address Israel’s security concerns.
