As President Joe Biden addressed Congress and the nation during his State of the Union speech on Thursday, tens of thousands of Palestinians face an increasingly harrowing humanitarian crisis – one that officials warn is hurling the territory into a famine.
Although Biden had signaled repeated optimism that a temporary ceasefire could soon offer some relief for the beleaguered territory, the prospects of that happening any time soon seemed to be growing dimmer.
Biden on Thursday announced efforts that could offer some relief: the US military will begin establishing a port in the territory that could receive large shipments of critically needed food and medical supplies.
“A temporary pier would enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day,” Biden said during his address on Thursday. “And Israel must also do its part. Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the cross fire.”
And in some of his most forceful remarks about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza since the war began, Biden sent a message to Israeli leadership.
“Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority,” Biden said.
The only real solution to the conflict, Biden added, is a two-state solution.
The announcement from Biden underscores the seriousness of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, as the UN World Food Program warned that a famine is looming and 500,000 people are at risk of starvation.
At least 20 people had died as of Wednesday due to malnutrition and dehydration since the war began in Gaza, according to the territory’s Ministry of Health.
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