Military Vessel Headed To Gaza
A U.S. Army vessel is headed to the Gaza Strip to aid in a humanitarian mission in the wartorn territory after an announcement from President Joe Biden. The effort is part of a plan to place a temporary port in the Palestinian territory to ferry food and supplies during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas.
The U.S. Army Vessel (USAV) General Frank S. Besson (LSV-1) left Virginia after the president announced the plan. The logistics support vessel was described by U.S. Central Command as “carrying the first equipment to establish a temporary pier to deliver vital humanitarian supplies.”
The Pentagon said that it would take around two months to create the port and the effort will likely require more than 1,000 American military personnel to complete.
Should the plan be successful, aid ships can dock at the temporary platform and bring in humanitarian aid.
The U.S. Navy is expected to help ferry the supplies to the shore.
A port to Hamas-controlled Gaza is a political stunt.
And it’s dangerous. pic.twitter.com/1CiXeUpum4
— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) March 8, 2024
The Biden administration’s plan comes amid increasing pressure on the White House from left-wing groups and Muslim Americans about Biden’s approach to the Middle East conflict.
While Biden has made some contradictory statements regarding the conflict, many of his critics perceive him as being too supportive of Israel.
Arab American and Muslim American groups helped organize a ballot movement during the ongoing Democratic Party presidential primary to have voters select ‘uncommitted’ rather than the president as a sign of protest.
The movement has so far exceeded the initial stated expectations, including in the state of Michigan. Biden narrowly carried the important state in 2020 after former President Donald Trump won there in 2016.
A decline in support by Arab Americans or Muslim Americans could be enough to flip the state in Trump’s favor. It also comes amid ongoing concern that Biden may be losing significant support among Black Americans, which could also play in Trump’s favor in the state and elsewhere.
