Palestinians call US’ temporary pier in Gaza ‘occupation port’

Palestinians are describing a temporary pier being constructed by the U.S. on the shores of Gaza City as an “occupation port.”

On March 7, President Joe Biden announced that he had ordered the U.S. military to build a temporary pier off Gaza for the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to let only a trickle of aid into Gaza by land.

The U.S. Department of Defense says construction of the temporary pier could take up to 60 days, after which 2 million meals per day would be provided to Gaza.

Palestinian requests for equipment to remove the debris of homes bombed in months of Israeli attacks to retrieve the bodies of the deceased and aid the wounded have gone unanswered.

In recent weeks, with the support of the U.S., bulldozers and trucks sent by Israel to the Gaza border have transported thousands of tons of rubble from demolished homes in Gaza, along with body parts.

They have been moved to the shore to be used in the construction of the new pier.

Speaking to Anadolu news agency, Palestinian political analyst Usame Abdulhadi accused the U.S. and Israel of not being honest about the project.

Abdulhadi warns the pier “will be built to strengthen Israel’s sovereignty on the coast, to render the Rafah Border Crossing ineffective, to end Palestinian sovereignty, and to encourage the migration of the people of Gaza.”

He says Israel has blockaded Gaza, closed border crossings, and hindered the entry of humanitarian aid.

Abdulhadi also explains that the U.S. and Israel seek to control part of the Gaza coast under the pretext of protecting the pier, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid, and preventing Hamas from controlling the area.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. 

In January, it issued an interim ruling ordering Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.