Biden: Gaza pier boosts aid amid fading truce hopes

U.S. President Joe Biden announced a new initiative to aid Palestinians in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict with Israel, revealing plans to establish a temporary pier along the Gaza coast to enhance the delivery of humanitarian assistance. This announcement came during his State of the Union address to Congress and follows a previous decision to have the U.S. military air-drop aid into the region.

Biden emphasized the importance of significantly increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza and urged Israel to intensify efforts to mitigate Palestinian suffering while continuing its operations against Hamas.

Highlighting the critical nature of humanitarian aid, Biden stressed that it should not be used as leverage or an afterthought in the conflict.

This development coincides with Hamas’s announcement that ceasefire negotiations and discussions on releasing more Israeli hostages will resume, dampening hopes for a peace agreement before Ramadan’s onset.

The nearly five-month-long conflict has devastated Gaza, prompting international calls for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli captives by Hamas.

With Gaza under a near-complete blockade and ravaged by conflict, delivering supplies has become a formidable challenge, leading many in northern Gaza to face extreme hardships.

The conflict began when Hamas militants attacked on October 7, resulting in significant casualties and the abduction of around 250 individuals, as reported by Israel. A subsequent prisoner exchange in November saw the release of over 100 hostages.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the Palestinian death toll has surpassed 30,700, with women and children making up two-thirds of the casualties, and over 72,000 people have been injured.