President Biden will announce Thursday in his State of the Union address that the US military will build a port in Gaza.
The development was revealed on Thursday by a senior administration official discussing humanitarian aid for Hamas-controlled territory.
“Tonight in a speech, the president will announce that he is directing the US military to lead an emergency mission to establish a Mediterranean port off the coast of Gaza that can accommodate large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary residence,” the official. said.
AFTER MICHIGAN PRIMARY, DEMOCRATS WATCH BIDEN FOR BREAKING ISRAEL AND GAZA
President Biden speaks during a meeting with his Competition Council in the State Dining Room of the White House on March 5, 2024. He will deliver his State of the Union address on Thursday, March 7, 2024. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
Refusing to get ahead of the Defense Department in terms of the number of personnel involved in the operation and security questions, the official said mechanisms will be established with the help of the United Nations and humanitarian partners to distribute aid on the ground inside of Gaza.
“This is expected to be an operation that will not require US boots on the ground,” the official reiterated. “I think one of the reasons why this development is so important is that we’re building a redundant system so that we’re not relying on one or two crossings as single points of failure in terms of being able to get help. .”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Another official clarified on the call that the port construction operation involved US military personnel on military vessels “but did not require US military personnel to go ashore to install the pier or facility of a causeway that will allow the transportation of humanitarian assistance ashore.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
