Biden: Israel Will Be Responsible for Securing the Humanitarian Aid Dock in Gaza City

On Friday, March 9, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that Israel would be responsible for securing the humanitarian aid dock that is set to be established in Gaza City. He emphasized that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should work to send more aid to the Gaza Strip, adding that the U.S. is trying to increase the amount of aid to civilians in Gaza amid the war between Israel and Hamas. Meanwhile, according to the 'Times of Israel', officials in the country did not confirm that Israel would be responsible for securing the dock in Gaza City. However, they welcomed Biden's remarks regarding maritime aid. On Thursday, March 8, during his annual speech to the U.S. Congress, Biden stated that he had ordered the creation of a temporary dock in Gaza to assist the people in the region. He also noted that U.S. forces would not enter Gaza. In that speech, the U.S. President reiterated the country's support for Israel and urged its leadership to facilitate the entry of more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, predicted that the establishment of the temporary dock would take about two months. According to General Patrick Ryder, Pentagon spokesperson, about 1,000 U.S. military personnel will participate in the dock construction operations but will not enter the area. He announced that there is still no estimate of the construction costs and that the U.S. is in discussions with NGOs, aid groups, and the United Nations regarding how to send aid. The establishment of a maritime corridor for transferring humanitarian aid from Cyprus to the Gaza Strip has been welcomed by Israel. Canada has lifted the suspension of funding for UNRWA and will resume financial aid to this agency. Secretary of State Blinken stated that the 'ball is in Hamas's court' for establishing a ceasefire in Gaza.