Joe Biden will make a statement about building a temporary harbor on the Gaza coast to provide humanitarian assistance.
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Speech given by the President of the United States, outlining their plans and priorities for the country.
According to officials in the administration, the U.S. military has been asked to assist in creating a temporary port along the Gaza coast on Thursday. This is expected to improve the delivery of essential aid to the struggling region during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The individuals, who requested anonymity in advance of the announcement, stated that the undertaking will not necessitate the presence of US soldiers on site to construct the pier. The construction of this pier aims to facilitate the delivery of food, medication, and other crucial items.
The officials did not provide details about how the pier would be built. One noted that the U.S. military has “unique capabilities” and can do things from “just offshore.” The effort will take “a number of weeks” to execute, one official said, and initial shipments will originate from Cyprus.
struggling to access food, water, and electricity.
During a five-month conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas, has suffered extensive damage and a decline in living conditions. In particular, those in the northern areas are facing difficulty in obtaining basic necessities such as food, water, and electricity.
struggling to find sustenance for survival.
The airdrops began last week.
The U.S. representative stated that they are not relying on the Israelis and instead, are using this as an opportunity for American leadership. They are also working together with multiple countries to tackle this pressing issue.
There has been increasing pressure on Israel to create a sea route for providing aid in recent times. On Friday, European Union Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen intended to travel to Cyprus to assess the facilities at the port of Larnaca, which would be used to transport aid to Gaza if a sea route is established. Israeli authorities stated that they are willing to collaborate on the development of a sea route from Cyprus, a concept that has been in discussions for several months.
American General Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, informed the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee that he had presented officials with a potential solution involving naval operations. Kurilla stated that Central Command has suggested ways to increase the number of trucks delivering aid to northern Gaza.
The objective of the international mediators was to ease some of the immediate turmoil through their efforts.six-week cease-fire
It was proposed that Hamas would release a portion of the Israeli hostages it currently holds, Israel would release certain Palestinian prisoners, and aid organizations would have access to bring significant aid into Gaza.
It is believed that Palestinian militants are currently holding approximately 100 hostages and the bodies of 30 individuals who were captured during Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, which ultimately led to the outbreak of war.
According to Egyptian authorities, Hamas has accepted the primary conditions of an agreement as an initial step, but is seeking assurances that it will ultimately result in a long-term cease-fire. They claim that Israel is aiming to contain the talks to a less comprehensive agreement.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations with media. Both officials said mediators are still pressing the two parties to soften their positions.
Jihad Taha, a spokesperson for Hamas, stated that Israel is unwilling to make commitments or provide assurances regarding the cease-fire, the repatriation of displaced individuals, and the withdrawal from areas affected by military incursions. However, he mentioned that discussions are ongoing and will resume next week. There has been no response yet from Israel.
Mediators had looked to Ramadan, which is expected to begin on Sunday, as an informal deadline for a deal because the month of dawn-to-dusk fasting often sees Israeli-Palestinian violence linked to access to a major Jerusalem holy site. The war already has the wider region on edge, with Iran-backed groups trading fire with Israel and the United States.
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has publicly stated that Hamas’ requests for an end to the conflict have been rejected. He has declared that Israel plans to resume their attack if a cease-fire is established, and their target will include the heavily populated city of Rafah in southern Israel. He plans to continue fighting until achieving complete success. Additionally, he believes that utilizing military force will aid in securing the freedom of the hostages.
“At the combat officers’ graduation ceremony on Friday, Netanyahu declared that the Israeli military will persist in targeting all Hamas units throughout the strip, specifically singling out Rafah as the final stronghold. He asserted that anyone who advises against taking action in Rafah is essentially urging them to surrender the battle, which is out of the question.”
Around 1,200 individuals, primarily innocent civilians, were killed by militants under the leadership of Hamas who crossed the border on October 7th. Additionally, around 250 individuals were taken captive during the incident. Last year, a cease-fire agreement resulted in the release of over 100 hostages.
Israel initiated a vast offensive on Gaza, utilizing air, land, and sea forces, which has resulted in the displacement of 80% of the populace and nearly pushing hundreds of thousands into a state of starvation.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, a minimum of 30,717 Palestinians have lost their lives. There is no distinction made between civilians and fighters in their reports, but they indicate that approximately two-thirds of those killed are women and children. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-led government, keeps thorough records and their numbers of casualties from past conflicts generally align with those reported by the United Nations and other unbiased analysts.
According to Israel, they have eliminated more than 13,000 members of Hamas, but have not offered any evidence to support this claim. They attribute the significant number of civilian casualties to Hamas, as their fighters are situated in densely populated residential areas.
The situation in Gaza’s northern region is facing a severe humanitarian crisis. It is estimated that 300,000 individuals are currently residing there, and they are resorting to consuming animal feed in order to stay alive. According to the United Nations, the rate of acute malnutrition among children under the age of 2 is one in six.
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Source: cbsnews.com