It didn’t take long for the Pentagon to all but confirm that the temporary Gaza port constructed at the behest of President Biden is turning out to be a total disaster.
The admission came during a Tuesday press conference, in which Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, the Pentagon’s spokesman, told reporters that none of the 569 metric tons of food and supplies delivered into Hamas-controlled Gaza via the port have been distributed to Gaza residents by nongovernmental organizations. Constructed by the U.S. military, the $320 million floating port was announced earlier this year during Biden’s State of the Union address, a move designed to cater to the pro-Hamas wing of the Democrat Party base.
Since the port’s completion last Thursday, “some trucks, operated by nongovernmental organizations tasked with delivering the aid to another staging area, had been ransacked by looters,” the New York Post reported based on Ryder’s comments. The Associated Press separately reported that just five of 16 trucks operated by the United Nations World Food Program met their intended destinations during aid delivery runs on Saturday.
UNWFP officials said the remaining 11 trucks had been “commandeered” by a Palestinian mob.
Recall that Hamas launched a vicious attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that left more than 1,200 civilians dead. The Iranian-backed terrorist group has since attempted to cast itself as the victim of what it claims is an unwarranted military response from Israel. Part of its deceptive tactics have included publishing inflated casualty numbers, which legacy media have regurgitated without question.
A Predictable Trainwreck
From its inception, Biden’s pier project was destined to be a catastrophic failure. The assumption from its supporters was that Hamas would permit any outside aid to make its way to Gaza residents — a substantial majority of whom support Hamas and the group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Contrary to the image cast by the “Queers for Palestine” crowd, Hamas is a violent terrorist organization that’s committed horrific atrocities against Israelis and other innocent civilians for decades. Trusting that Hamas officials will allow food and other supplies to make their way to the poor and needy is as naive as believing Biden has the cognitive ability necessary to run the country.
Biden’s proposal to build a floating port off the cost of Gaza also needlessly puts innocent lives — including those of U.S. service members — in jeopardy. Last month, for example, an unidentified terrorist group operating in the region fired on U.N. officials touring the pier site. While no injuries were reported, the incident documents the heightened risk posed to Western officials in the area.
Any diligent president would recognize the reality on the ground and immediately withdraw U.S. forces from the region to avoid potential casualties. Unfortunately, the Biden administration’s incompetent foreign policy has a track record of getting innocent U.S. soldiers killed.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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