Israeli strikes killed seven World Central Kitchen officials earlier this month, which prompted outrage globally. Officials say they do not want U.S. troops in Gaza distributing aid; however, having non-Americans drive U.S. aid trucks could authorize alteration. The Biden admin is still saying no U.S. personnel will set foot in Gaza when they deliver humanitarian aid from a floating dock. However, aid is coming from other organizations, such as the Word Central Kitchen, which is finally just now delivering food and supplies into northern Gaza for the first time since the war began. However, this is not a joyous celebration, but rather “an indication that diplomatic pressure can work.” Learn more about how the US troops are tackling this dangerous mission delivering aid.
Are U.S. Troops In Gaza Right Now?
A proposal was brought forth proposing that other nations deliver the aid, but former and current administration officials say that idea carries security risks. The concerns are a speed bump in the White House push to get aid to the hungry population by a floating dock.
Military officials told NBC News the first time they heard the idea for a floating dock had been a go, was during the State of the Union address on March 7. Biden announced it and the Pentagon did not have an approved plan for how to carry it out, or how to do it safely.
Six days later, the first ships carrying pieces of the dock system left for the Mediterranean. The U.S. military is planning to build the dock several miles offshore. Here, civilian ships will unload aid supplies. The aid will then be loaded into trucks that would drive onto the U.S. Army boats and be ferried to a temporary pier on the shore.
However, the Biden administration doesn’t want any U.S. troops on the ground in Gaza. This means someone else has to get the aid to the sites where it can then be distributed. An option that is still under consideration is to have drivers and guards from other countries move the trucks from the pier to land to then distribute the aid.
The Potential Plan For US Troops In Gaza
The delivery of aid has come as nations work to tackle this humanitarian crisis. Here is the current plan for the delivery of aid.
Empty trucks are to be driven back to the pier. It is unknown if Israelis or Palestinians, or another nationality entirely will be the ones doing this. Once empty back at the pier, the trucks are going to the Americans who are taking them to the dock for more aid and to repeat the process.
This process would protect ground troops in Gaza from attacks. This plan however, has its own risks. A military official said, “Someone could tuck a bomb on a truck with a timer or remote detonator and cause a catastrophe.”
Aside from that option, there is one more under consideration. That option is to drive the trucks a little bit onto the shore, and unload them with a security perimeter in place. Officials say that would take more time, resources, and coordination. This would in turn create a longer wait for critical aid.
During a briefing at the White House, Jake Sullivan, a national security advise stated that the IDF will protect the deliveries once the dock systems are in place. Sullivan said, “It will be IDF assets who actually secure it so that there are no U.S. boots on the ground in Gaza.”
Officials argue that the quickest way to get aid is to drive the trucks to the distribution point. That would require checking the trucks multiple times before and after delivery before allowing them to get back on the temporary pier.
The US, Jordan, and Others Are Participating in the Airdrop
Over the last six months, a large volume of assistance has been going out to Gaza citizens. Right now, nearly 200 trucks are visiting the area providing aid every single day.
The U.S., Jordan, and other countries have attempted to airdrop aid, but these attempts have been largely unsuccessful. This is due to the difficulty predicting the exact location of where the airdropped supplies will land.
If not executed correctly, the airdrops can cause serious injury to people, homes, and roadways. This is why the US troops in Gaza, and the World Central Kitchen have made the decision to deliver supplies by sea, via boat.
So far, nearly 200 tons of aid have been delivered via sea. This is because getting trucks into Gaza has proved to be difficult. Trucks entering Gaza are often in holding for hours at a time. Some are getting turned away for carrying restricted items. With aid in desperate need of delivery, it appears that at this time boats are proving to be the most viable option.
Where Do the US Troops In Gaza Go From Here?
The system of supply delivery is facing significant challenges. Now, the question on everyone’s mind is where do we go from here. The fastest, most reliable way of sending aid into Gaza seems to be via trucks. However, the U.S. military is working to set up more easy ways of delivery into the country.
Right now, the lack of fuel and working vehicles is hindering the progress of vehicles providing supplies. According to Bob Kitchen, the VP of the International Rescue Committee, providing aid is “going to take a sustained, huge uplift to catch up. It needs to be a tenfold increase to catch up with the needs we see.” Currently, U.S. troops in Gaza are working to provide citizens with the resources they need to be safe during this ongoing crisis.
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