March 9, 2024 (EIRNS)—Yesterday, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder provided a sketch of how the Pentagon is planning to implement Biden’s order to install a temporary pier for the overwater delivery of humanitarian supplies into Gaza. An Army-Navy team is preparing to deploy a capability called Joint Logistics Over the Shore, or JLOTS. “Simply put, they’ll establish a temporary offshore maritime pier that allows for shipping vessels to transfer cargo to smaller vessels to transport and offload cargo to a temporary causeway for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza,” Ryder said.
“Importantly, there will be no U.S. forces on the ground in Gaza,” Ryder promised, making a point he repeated in response to questions. “The DoD maintains the ability to provide unique capabilities from offshore without a U.S. military presence within Gaza. We’re coordinating with other nations to assist with operating the causeway and distributing aid into Gaza. The concept that is being planned involves the presence of U.S. military personnel on military vessels offshore, but does not require U.S. military personnel to go ashore.
“Once operational, the actual amount of aid delivered will depend on many variables, and will likely scale over time. However, we expect that deliveries via JLOTS could provide more than two million meals to the citizens of Gaza per day.”
The upshot is that it’ll take about 1,000 troops and about 60 days to set up the JLOTS pier, which will somehow be anchored to the beach on Gaza without a single American boot touching the ground.
As for security, Ryder refused to confirm or deny that Israeli forces will be providing security for the pier. “We’re working through the coordination and planning of this right now, working with partners in the region, to include Israel, in terms of who will provide—the specific security,” he said in response to a reporter’s question.
Besides security, the other unanswered question is how the supplies will be distributed once they land on the beach in Gaza. The US has “suspended” its funding of UNRWA, the agency that has the most experience delivering services, including food, to the Palestinian population, thus supporting Israel’s effort to destroy that agency. Ryder would not address that or related questions.
But there’s no talk of stopping Israel’s military campaign, which is what has created the conditions of starvation in the first place. “Look, our focus, as we’ve said from the very beginning, is supporting Israel’s inherent right to defend itself. You know, again, to belabor the point, they were attacked by Hamas on October 7th. They are still under threat of terrorist attack by Hamas, an organization that has said their stated express purpose is to eliminate Israel as a country,” he said. “And so we’re going to continue to support Israel on that front. But I’m—again, I’m not going to get into their readiness.” Ryder refused to acknowledge that the conditions of starvation now prevailing in Gaza are solely the result of Israel’s military campaign.
