THE United States in its latest “let’s alleviate Gazans’ condition” will build a port on the Gaza coastline for easing the movement of relief into the war-torn city of the dead and a few living. This isn’t President Joe Biden’s brainwave, but the POTUS mentioned it in his “fiery” State of the Union address which also saw Biden pull-up Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for being the reason for everything rotten in Gaza after the October 7 Hamas massacre. Israel may have to take charge of security of the temporary port that will service Gaza City. Whether the brainwave will be a success depends upon a number of dynamics and variables including whether protagonists Hamas and Israel toe the US line and believe that the American establishment isn’t talking through President Biden’s hat. Ask Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and he will scoff. Biden has his own idea of Israel-Hamas and Donald has his to flaunt. For now, the question is how much humanitarian aid, including food rations, is getting into the embattled enclave where stampedes kill when bombings take the rare break. It is acknowledged worldwide that Gaza requires a ceasefire and in Biden’s State of the Union address, the President, for the first time since war broke out, rolled his tongue around the word “ceasefire”. Democrats are thrilled, not because Biden spoke, but because this should stop the kind of protests that broke when Biden did not talk.

 

Trump doesn’t care if Arab Americans and the liberal-locked Americans railed or did not rail, but Joe Biden depends on their votes to ensure a second term for himself, which when Biden turns 82, will be the end of life bonus very few can take to their graves. President Joe Biden’s political future has lots hanging on the planned temporary port off the Gaza coastline. By the way, the port will be built by local hands, meaning there will be employment found under the sea of raining bombs. President Joe Biden’s “military mission” will not require “American boots” on the Gazan ground. But US troops will be on ships berthed at sea along the Gaza coast. For the rest of the world, all this might sound like an American lark, but for Israel, it’s a welcome distraction. A sea corridor for aid is better than to be held responsible for stampede-deaths around stalled relief trucks brought to a forcible halt by hungry men and hungrier boys. But the temporary port will take 60 days to plan and execute, which means, Israel’s ‘War on Gaza’ will not be stopping even after the temporary port’s in place. “Likely up to 60 days” is the American deadline. For now, let there be no disputes on who will provide security. It’s hardly likely Israel will allow “outsiders” to do the honours, definitely not after its experience with the United Nations’ UNRWA. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a mighty suspicious hombre. A bit of good news though is that when the port is in place, the Biden administration will be shipping in two million meals to the Gazans every day.

 

The 1,000 or so US troops required to bring the ships close to shore will not step ashore — an order which they will be mighty glad to obey considering that Gaza is nowhere near being a picnic spot. There will be NGOs and the United Nations to take hold of and do the food deliveries. As things stand, the humanitarian crisis has left Gazans war-weary, famished and thirsty for nothing other than pillows to rest their heads. Currently, food is being airdropped. Also, the “tight Israeli control of aid trucks” isn’t doing anything to alleviate the shortage of food. Without doubt Gaza, both north and south, is facing an unprecedented famine if not forbidding famine-like conditions. The “Hamas-run Palestinian territory” needs the world to step in. President Joe Biden’s attempt to secure a second term also requires a port of entry and in his State of the Union address, he spoke of how Israelis can and should do both — open extra land crossings for aid to reach hungry Gazans and do its utmost to keep eliminating Hamas. Is there a better two-in-one offer, anyone? So, there’s the “planned pier”, aid airdropped into Gaza and Biden caught on the hot mic telling Netanyahu to have a “Come to Jesus” chat. Biden is frustrated that Netanyahu isn’t doing more and “doing more” is a favourite American phrase. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, it was the American policy of “Do More” which drove the Pakistanis up the wall. But it is unlikely the Israelis will be pushovers and succumb to President Joe Biden’s “Do More” diktat. (IPA)