Israel to replace US Gaza aid pier and plans field hospital for Gaza children
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced on Tuesday that Israel will soon replace the U.S. pier for aid deliveries to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.
Gallant's announcement came shortly after the Biden administration decided to close its floating pier off Gaza’s shore.
The Israeli defense minister held a top-level meeting with U.S. Gen. Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, before his announcement.
Israel's new Gaza aid facility, to be called "Pier 28,” will be built in the southern Israeli port of Ashdod.
“The minister emphasized the defense establishment’s commitment to working with international partners to ensure the entry of critical humanitarian aid to Gaza,” Gallant’s office said in an official statement.
However, Israeli authorities have so far not announced publicly when the new pier facility will be up and running. Located around 30 miles from the Gaza border, humanitarian aid from the upcoming Pier 28 in Ashdod will first pass through an Israeli land crossing before entering Gaza.
In March, Washington announced its intention to build a floating Gaza pier to facilitate the inflow of humanitarian aid into the coastal enclave.
At the time, the Biden administration expressed frustration with what it claimed was a slow Israeli response to the humanitarian situation in Gaza. “We’re not waiting on the Israelis. This is a moment for American leadership, and we are building a coalition of countries to address this urgent need,” a senior Biden official said.
However, the Biden administration’s decision to close its Gaza aid pier comes after the floating facility encountered multiple challenges, including security threats, damage due to bad weather, theft of the aid and a bloated budget that nearly doubled from $180 million to about $300 million.
The Israeli Defense Minister’s Office has also decided to erect a field hospital in Israel to assist children in Gaza who are suffering from chronic diseases, such as cancer or diabetes.
“This is a significant short-term solution that will address immediate humanitarian needs until a permanent mechanism is established to evacuate and treat ill children,” Gallant’s office said without specifying when the planned field hospital would be operational.
Later, Ynet News reported on Thursday morning that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not approve of the creation of the field hospital for Palestinian children within Israeli territory.
Brig.-Gen. Roman Gofman, Netanyahu's military secretary, explained that approval would not be given for the field hospital until an agreement is made with third-party countries to receive injured Gazans, who would be flown from Israel or Egypt.
Despite multiple foreign-funded hospitals, Gaza currently has limited and deteriorating healthcare capabilities amid the ongoing war.
Many international players, including the United Nations, have mainly blamed Israel for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. However, Israel has rejected the accusations and criticized the UN for being inefficient in its distribution of aid to Gaza. In addition, most of the international community has largely ignored the fact that Hamas terrorists have stolen as much as 70% of the aid arriving through the U.S. pier.
In May, Israel opened a third border crossing to facilitate an increase of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
