A new US-run pier off Gaza could help deliver 2 million meals a day – but it comes with security risks | News & Features

Security is of paramount concern with this type of construction during an active war.

The Biden administration has made clear from the start of the war that there would be no U.S. boots on the ground in Gaza, but this mission brings troops dangerously close to the action.

Israeli officials have given the green light to Biden to pursue this operation, and there will be security checks of ships in Cyprus before they head to the port, which should quicken the unloading. Reports from unnamed defense officials say that Israeli soldiers will also surround the pier in an unspecified position to keep them safe.

But the pier could become a target for Hamas or other Iranian-backed proxy groups in Gaza or elsewhere that still have mortar, rockets, drones and other ways to harass or attack the ship.

It also could lead to stampedes for the aid. Twelve people drowned off Gaza’s northern coast trying to retrieve food from the Mediterranean Sea on March 26, 2024.

Major military operations are expensive, and there is no exact, publicly available price tag for the Gaza pier project.

To me, there is a certain irony in the fact that Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, including major weapons systems, and the U.S. is now spending money on building a pier in order to deliver aid to the very people that are harmed by this U.S. ally using those weapons.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world.

Tara Sonenshine does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.