Gaza- The scenes of naval vessels parked off the coast of the central Gaza Strip raise the astonishment of elderly Umm Fadi Abu Saqr, who has never seen ships of this size before.
The 70-year-old Palestinian woman watches three large ships standing still about 5 kilometers from the Gaza coast, while a smaller ship moves back and forth, moving between the three ships and between a floating dock installed on the beach.
Umm Fadi tells Tel Aviv Tribune Net that it is the first time in her life that she has seen such large ships. The ships belong to the US Army, which established a floating port off the coast of the central Strip, and began operating it last Friday.
The United States says that it established the floating dock for the purpose of delivering humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip, but the Palestinians feel very suspicious of it. Abu Saqr says, “They want to close all the (land) crossings and keep this port. These are criminals. They are laughing at us.”
The Palestinian woman also believes that the floating port project aims to “steal Palestinian gas,” in reference to the “Marine 1” and “Marine 2” natural gas fields, which are located in Palestinian territorial waters off the coast of Gaza.
Secret targets
Umm Fadi lives near the place north of the Nuseirat camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip, which is the closest place that Palestinians can reach to see the floating pier.
The Palestinians cannot approach the floating port located in what is known as the “Netzarim axis,” which is occupied by the Israeli army and through which it separates the north and south of the Strip. During the past months, the occupation army killed and wounded dozens of Palestinians who approached this axis.
Every day, hundreds of Palestinians gather north of the Nuseirat camp out of curiosity to observe the work movement on the floating dock, from afar. In this regard, Ahmed Obaid says that he came to see “the large ships that reached the shore.”
He added to Tel Aviv Tribune Net, “These are new views of Al Ain. I have not traveled from Gaza before, and this is the first time I see these views.” Like other Palestinians, Obaid believes that there are secret goals behind the floating port project, hidden behind the pretext of “bringing in humanitarian aid.”
He continued, “I do not believe the aid story. If it is true, why did they not force Israel to open the land crossings?” He continued, “This is a bait. After a while, (the port) will be transformed into displacing us from Gaza abroad… voluntary displacement, but everyone who emigrates will lose.”
The Israeli army inspects the aid in Cyprus, before transporting it to the pier, which consists of a floating platform located 3 kilometers from the beach, as well as a floating pier “sea tongue” that was installed on the beach.
The United Nations agreed to receive aid from the dock via trucks arriving from the north and south of the Strip, before unloading it into warehouses belonging to the World Food Programme, according to its official website, quoting Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Low quantity
The US Central Command, Centcom, said last Monday that more than 569 tons of humanitarian aid had been delivered to Gaza through the temporary dock so far.
An informed Palestinian source revealed to Tel Aviv Tribune Net that the aid that passed through the port during the past days consisted of food supplies, in addition to quantities of tents.
US officials said the dock would initially handle 90 trucks per day, but that number could reach 150.
The current floating dock’s capacity (90 trucks per day) appears to be very low, compared to the needs of the sector, which before the war received about 500 trucks per day, in addition to the requirements of dealing with the disastrous effects of the occupation army’s invasion of the city of Rafah.
The entry of aid from the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt has stopped since the Israeli occupation army began invading the border city at the beginning of this May.
Spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Stephane Dujarric, said that the military operations led to the displacement of about 900,000 people from the Rafah Governorate, and also from northern Gaza, meaning about 40% of the population of Gaza, during the past two weeks.
Post-war project
The editor-in-chief of Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper in Gaza, Muhammad Abu Jayab, believes that the American goals of building the “temporary” floating dock go beyond the issue of bringing in humanitarian aid, expressing his belief in its transformation into a permanent port.
He told Tel Aviv Tribune Net, “Washington can force Israel to bring in aid through land ports if it wants, but it seems that the purpose of the floating port goes beyond humanitarian aid.” Abu Jiyab believes that Washington plans for the port to be part of the situation it delineates for the “post-war” period.
He added, “The sustainability of this port is an important requirement to empower the party to which they plan to hand over responsibility for ruling Gaza after the war, and this port will be one of the most important tools for stabilizing any future political regime to rule Gaza in accordance with the American-Israeli vision.”
He continues, “Through this port, the door will be opened to supply (post-war) reconstruction requirements and strengthen the private sector through import and export.”
Abu Jayab believes that after the war, Washington seeks to normalize Israel’s relations with the Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia, “and this includes stopping the cycle of violence, especially in Gaza, and this will only be achieved through large projects that the Palestinians are busy with.” This does not exclude the use of the port for Palestinian travel, as an alternative to land crossings.
Abu Jiab recalled the project of the current Israeli Foreign Minister, Yisrael Katz, which he proposed several years ago, when he was Minister of Communications, which stipulates the establishment of a “floating port” off the coast of Gaza, and Israel will have a security role in monitoring and inspecting ships, with the aim of “severing ties with the Gaza Strip and maintaining calm.” Preventing any war or military confrontation.”
He considered that “what is currently happening is very close to the Katz project, where everything that enters and exits the port is subject to Israeli control.”