Israel has agreed to provide security for the temporary pier the U.S. military is planning to build in Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians on the brink of famine, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the plans.
Under the plans being discussed, which have not yet been finalized, the Israel Defense Forces would establish a “security bubble” to protect the U.S. personnel building the pier as well as the individuals involved in offloading and distributing the aid, said one of the officials, both of whom were granted anonymity to speak about sensitive discussions.
The IDF would also be responsible for physically securing the pier to the beach, the officials said.
The U.S. is still in the planning stages and nothing has been finalized, the officials stressed. Another partner country may also be involved in providing some security, depending on where in Gaza the pier is ultimately built, they said.A spokesperson for the IDF said it “will be coordinating with the U.S. military to facilitate the project indeed” but declined to provide specifics.
The pier was promised by President Joe Biden in his State of the Union address earlier this month amid concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where more than 30,000 people have died since the war began, according to Gaza authorities, and where U.N. officials have warned famine is imminent.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed the importance of getting more humanitarian aid into Gaza, including security for the temporary pier, with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant during a meeting at the Pentagon on Tuesday, according to the second U.S. official.
