The United Kingdon is considering sending its forces to support the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, but officials say the decision has not yet been finalised.
The United States confirmed on Friday that a temporary jetty designed to bring more humanitarian aid to Gaza over the threat of famine has been opened and operations will begin in early May. The new causeway will initially facilitate the delivery of 90 lorries of international aid to Gaza and will increase to 150 lorries once fully operational.
In addition, the report comes after a senior US military official said on Thursday that there would be no American soldiers on the ground and another country would provide personnel to bring the trucks ashore, but which country was not named. According to the planned new Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) operation, Israel reportedly is going to be responsible for anchoring the 500-metre floating causeway to the beach and will provide security and logistical support for the US soldiers who are installing the pier.
Britain is already providing logistical support for the pier’s construction, including a Royal Navy ship that will house hundreds of US soldiers and sailors working on the project. For weeks, British military planners have been stationed at US Central Command in Florida and Cyprus, where the aid will be vetted before being sent to Gaza.
“It is critical we establish more routes for vital humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza, and the UK continues to take a leading role in the delivery of support in coordination with the US and our international allies and partners,” Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement.
British forces could move trucks from landing crafts over a floating causeway to the beach and move the goods to a secure distribution area on shore, although a decision has not yet been made, the statement said, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
“This will complement the priority of getting more aid in via land routes and Ashdod port in Israel, by enabling tens of thousands of tonnes to be delivered directly from the sea onto the beach,” Shapps underlined.
The construction of the port and pier in Gaza comes at a time when Israel is facing widespread international criticism over the slow flow of aid to the Palestinian territory, where at least a quarter of the population is on the brink of starvation, according to the United Nations.
Over 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign following the 7 October attack on Israel, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Tensions between Israel and its allies are gradually rising. Earlier, the Biden administration was set to impose sanctions on the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) for alleged human rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank.
