The Americans and the European Union continue to send emergency aid to Gaza by sea

Both the United States and the European Union are working to deliver humanitarian aid by sea to the people of Gaza. The first ship is expected to use the safe passage between Cyprus and the Gaza Strip established by the European Union on Sunday or Monday. For security reasons, the exact departure time and destination of the ship have not been disclosed.

As Gaza does not have a port, it is also questionable how the food aid will get ashore to the ship. The EU's security corridor will only be truly effective once the Americans create an emergency port. However, it may take another sixty days.

This weekend, a military ship sailed from the US state of Virginia to the Middle East to realize the construction of a temporary pontoon vessel. Ultimately, about two million meals must enter Gaza each day through the port.

Deliveries by sea are necessary because Israel does not allow emergency aid to Gazans by road and Israeli bombings since the October 7 attack by Hamas have destroyed much of Gazan farmland. Aid agencies have been warning for some time of a severe famine in Gaza, where the entire population is now suffering from malnutrition. This weekend, the local ministry said 25 children had died of malnutrition and dehydration at Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip, where the situation is critical.

'Red Line'

Palestinian officials say the direct death toll from Israeli military operations now exceeds 31,000. This weekend, the Israeli offensive continued in several parts of the Gaza Strip. On Saturday, Israel destroyed a large residential tower in the city of Rafah from the air. As far as we know, there were no casualties because the three hundred houses in the building were warned half an hour before the attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also wants a ground attack on Rafah. Such an attack would further increase the humanitarian needs in Gaza, as many Palestinians have fled from the north to the south.

US President Joe Biden this weekend called such a ground attack on MSNBC an “absolute red line” — though he was quick to say he had no intention of abandoning Israel as an ally. It's not entirely clear what exactly Biden means by that “red line,” but according to him, a stoppage of American weapons toward Israel is unthinkable.

By American standards, Biden criticized the Israeli war cabinet. In the interview, the US president focused specifically on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who, according to him, is “damaging” his country in the way it is waging the war against Hamas in Gaza. “He is doing his country more harm than good. Waging a war with so many civilian casualties is contrary to the values ​​of the Jewish state.

According to Biden, the Israeli military “can't kill 30,000 more Palestinians.” America is Israel's most important ally. In addition to annual military aid of $3.8 billion (nearly €3.5 billion), the US Senate approved a $14.1 billion military aid package for Israel in February.

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