[News] PFLP warns of suspicious US plan for Gaza pier

[Anti-Imperialist News]

english.almayadeen.net
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/pflp-warns-of-suspicious-us-plan-for-gaza-pier>
PFLP warns of suspicious US plan for Gaza pier
Al Mayadeen English
March 8, 2024
------------------------------

PFLP questions the significance of Biden's port plan in Gaza at a time when
the United States could effectively impose aid entry through alternative
means.
[image: 1b215cec-ba9f-42ed-aa13-2daa012f503a.jpeg]

   - A Jordanian military aircraft drops insufficient humanitarian aid over
   Rafah and Khan Younis. (*AFP*)

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) has issued a
warning against the US plan to establish a temporary pier
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/biden-to-announce-directions-to-us-military-to-establish-por>
off the coast of Gaza for "transporting aid to the sector."

The movement emphasized that the US plan is "suspicious and dubious" and
goes beyond the goal of aiding the Palestinian people, opening the door to
executing other alarming objectives, such as forced displacement plans
under humanitarian and other pretexts.

It also considered the issuance of instructions by the US President to
establish the port an attempt to appease public opinion in the United
States and part of his electoral propaganda at a time when there had been
no real pressure exerted to force the occupation to stop the starvation war
or its crimes against the Palestinian people or to facilitate the entry of
convoys into the Gaza Strip.

Furthermore, the PFLP affirmed that the step would be approached with
caution and skepticism, especially given the behavior and positions of the
US administration, its actions against the Palestinians, and its bias
toward the occupation.

It regarded the attempts to portray this step as evidence of a rift between
the US administration and the occupying entity as inaccurate, emphasizing
the partnership between the two sides in aggression, genocide, and
starvation.

The movement further questioned the significance of the step at a time when
the United States could effectively impose aid entry through alternative
means, such as compelling the opening of border crossings and delivering
assistance via land routes through international institutions, particularly
the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

 It emphasized that the alternative to these suspicious plans was to press
for the cessation of aggression and the complete withdrawal of the
occupation from the Gaza Strip. This includes the return of the forcibly
displaced to their areas and homes, as well as the opening of crossings to
allow the entry of aid without restriction or conditions and its
distribution across the Strip.

"Any actions beyond those aforementioned are futile, dubious, and
unwelcomed," it added.

PFLP concluded its statement by affirming that the Resistance will remain
vigilant and will confront any "suspicious US plans or any other actions
that might compel Palestinians to be expelled to liquidate the Palestinian
cause."

It further confirmed that the US presence would be a legitimate target for
the Resistance.
Biden's new port plan won't bring relief to Gaza: Economist

According to *The Economist*
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/biden-s-new-port-plan-won-t-bring-relief-to-gaza--economist>,
US President Joe Biden announced on Friday, during his State of the Union,
address that he has directed his military to lead a mission that will
establish a temporary pier that will bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza
Strip.

"Tonight, I’m directing the US military to lead an emergency mission to
establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast that can
receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine, and temporary
shelters," he said during his speech.

"No US boots will be on the ground," Biden claimed.

He added that the temporary pier would enable a massive increase in the
amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza but stressed that
"Israel" must play its part in the process for it to be successful.

Earlier, a senior Biden administration official said the temporary port
will feature a pier that will "provide the capacity for hundreds of
additional truckloads of assistance each day."

According to the official, the shipments will be screened by the US and
partners in European Union member Cyprus.

The people of Gaza are facing dire shortages of food
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/gaza-being-starved--deprived-of-aid-as-displacement-attempt>,
water, and medicine, with the United Nations warning of the risk of famine.
The entire population of 2.2 million is in crisis or worse levels of food
insecurity, according to the World Food Program (WFP).

The WFP reported that Gaza requires at least 300 vehicles each day to
transport food, medicine, and other necessities. Shipments via Gaza's two
operational land border posts—the Rafah crossing with Egypt and the Karam
Salem crossing with "Israel"—fall significantly short.

The US has so far airdropped a total of 192 packages containing 112,896
meals to Gaza. The figure, according to *The Economist*, only represents
one meal per six days for 5% of Palestinians, this is provided that all
pallets arrived undamaged.

In addition, the challenge is not only getting the supplies into the Strip
but distributing them around the territory, knowing that trucks and stores
were attacked and Israeli tanks tore up the roads.

The Government Media Office in Gaza called earlier for the immediate and
urgent opening of land crossings to allow thousands of tons of aid to
enter, in order to prevent the deepening famine crisis in the Gaza Strip,
especially in the north.

Commenting on the casualties resulting from the random air drops of aid
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/aid-airdrops-to-gaza--more-of-a-show-than-genuine-humanitari>,
which led to the killing of 5 people and injury of several others, the
office reiterated that such operations are not effective and are not the
optimal way to deliver aid.

Five Palestinians, including two children, were killed on Friday due to an
aid airdrop mishap, where at least one parachute malfunctioned, causing a
package to fall on them. The tragic incident occurred in the al-Shati
refugee camp in northern Gaza at approximately 11:30 am local time.

Airdrops of humanitarian aid to Gaza may not be necessary if pressure on
the Israeli occupation was effective, Patrick Wintour of *The Guardian*
reported.

According to The Economist, Biden refuses to utilize America's clout to
push "Israel" to let additional supplies into Gaza. Now, after enabling
"Israel's" behavior for months, he is seeking ways to free it of
accountability.

The UN Relief and Works Agency is also concerned with the distribution of
help once it arrives on the ground. Chris Doyle, executive director of the
Council for Arab-British Understanding, believes the decision of the US to
airdrop aid is a sign of "America's ineffectiveness".

Doyle notes that airdrops are considered dangerous and not enough,
emphasizing that the US is only doing so since it "cannot persuade Israel
to allow aid into Gaza by land and in trucks. It is the ultimate sign of
weakness and shows the US is unwilling to stand up to Israel.”

According to *Politico*, the airdrops expose Biden's very limited approach
with "Israel" since the US usually delivers airdrops to areas that are
occupied by "terrorist groups or hostile regimes, not allies."

*Read next: Biden's State of the Union becomes a roast for Trump,
Republicans
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/biden-s-state-of-the-union-becomes-a-roast-for-trump--republ>*
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