Floating Gaza Pier: Growing Suspicions

Satellite images released indicate that work at Gaza pier in the Mediterranean Sea is going on at an accelerated speed by the US military, but US motives are also being questioned.

Reportedly, the Pentagon has confirmed media reports that the pier that is being built by the US military near Gaza will cost at least $320 million, which is double the original estimate announced for the project. 

“The cost has not just risen. It has exploded,” Senator Roger Wicker told Reuters. 

“This dangerous effort with marginal benefit will now cost the American taxpayers at least US$320 million to operate the pier for only 90 days,” the Republican lawmaker added. 

Around 1,000 US military personnel have been deployed to Gaza’s waters, including from the army and navy, who are working in close coordination with the Israeli army and navy to build the pier that the Pentagon says will be operational in May.

The huge investment has raised question marks on how this costly project will help the man-made starvation across the Gaza Strip.

Once the aid reaches Gaza, it will undergo another land inspection by the Israeli military, despite being inspected in Cyprus before it reaches the people of Gaza. 

Who will distribute this aid inside Gaza? Who will send it to the north where food and water are needed the most? These are among the many key questions that the White House has declined to provide any answers to.

More importantly, more than 90 aid trucks are being inspected but blocked from entering Gaza. A leaked internal US State Department memo has admitted that Israel rejects aid trucks from entering the enclave in violation of international humanitarian law. 

Essentially, the Israeli occupation forces, which have killed a record number of aid workers numerous times, will be in charge of handling the aid via this questionable project.

The United Nations has been calling on the Israeli occupation regime to allow a significant increase in the number of humanitarian trucks to enter the enclave to avoid famine. 

500 trucks entered the Strip on a daily basis before the war. UN officials say the daily figures needed now vastly exceed pre-war levels.

Last week, the UN pointed out that the average number of trucks entering Gaza every day during April was 200, which is far below the required level. 

Critics of the US project say it is difficult to see how 90 extra trucks, should they reach the Palestinians, will alleviate the humanitarian crisis given the time, costs and the number of service members involved in the US port being built off the Gaza coast. 

“How much will taxpayers be on the hook once – or if – the pier is finally constructed?” Wicker noted. 

The administration of US President Joe Biden, which announced the project in early March, has been accused of allowing excessive food shortage in Gaza under its watch by refusing to pressure the Israeli occupation regime to stop preventing food and water from entering the enclave.

There are serious questions over the real motives of the US for establishing the pier. It has been criticized by aid agencies as glossing over the humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinians. 

There are suspicions that the US wants to maintain the port and turn it into a military base or use the floating pier to transfer portions of the Gaza population elsewhere in what is legally defined as ethnic cleansing. 

In a statement, the Israeli military said it is involved in the port’s construction with logistical support as well as an Israeli military brigade, which includes thousands of soldiers, along with the Israeli navy and air force. 

The only party that is not involved in the project is the Palestinians, who have once again been sidelined. Hamas has warned it would target foreign forces, uninvited, on Palestinian land or water. 

“We categorically reject any non-Palestinian presence in Gaza, whether at sea or on land, and we will deal with any military force present in these places, Israeli or otherwise … as an occupying power,” Khalil al-Hayya, a top Hamas political official, told the Associated Press last week. 

He added Israeli forces “have not destroyed more than 20% of (Hamas’) capabilities, neither human nor in the field.” 

 

US-built floating pier in Mediterranean Sea

The United States military has released photos showing a floating pier being built in the Mediterranean Sea to help increase humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.

Logistics vessels and personnel can be seen assembling the pier from steel segments, next to a US Navy ship. Costing about US$320 million, the pier and a causeway attached to the shore should be operational in a week.

The goal is to deliver aid equivalent to as many as two million meals a day to Gaza to help avert a famine there.

An UN-backed assessment said last month that 1.1 million people were facing catastrophic hunger and that famine was imminent in northern Gaza by May.

"Right now, you're seeing construction of that floating, temporary pier, and then, you'll start to see construction of the causeway," US defense department spokeswoman Sabrina Singh had told reporters in Washington on Monday.

"Eventually, that causeway will be... pushed into the coastline and secured by the Israel Defense Forces," she added.

The pier will be ready a week from now, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday.

The UN has said a maritime corridor can never be a substitute for delivery by land, and land routes are the only way to bring in the bulk of supplies needed.

Satellite images published by Planet Labs meanwhile appeared to show the pier was being built next to the USNS Benavidez, a Military Sealift Command roll-on/roll-off ship, 11km north-west of the coast of northern Gaza.

A senior US military official said last week that the Israeli military's security role meant "no US boots will be on the ground" as part of the mission to construct and operate what is known officially as the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS.

An unnamed "third party" would also be driving aid lorries down the causeway, the official added.

Hundreds of sailors and soldiers involved in the operation will live and sleep aboard a British Navy logistical support ship, RFA Cardigan Bay, which has been deployed to the area.

On Saturday, the IDF confirmed that the Israeli Navy would secure the forces operating the pier and said it was committed to increasing the amount of humanitarian aid transferred daily into Gaza.

A senior Hamas official told the Associated Press last week that the group — which is proscribed as a terrorist organization by Israel and the US — rejected any non-Palestinian presence in Gaza, whether at sea or on land and would deal with any military force present in these places... as an occupying power.

He spoke a day after Israel said terrorists had fired mortars at the site during a visit by UN personnel. No injuries were reported.

The IDF also released photos and videos of what it described as the extensive preparations being carried out by its forces at a 67 acre holding area where aid from the floating pier will be brought.

The site is just inland from the makeshift jetty built by the US charity World Central Kitchen in March for a maritime corridor that was suspended after seven of its aid workers were killed in an Israeli air strike.

The US military official said the floating pier should be able to handle about 90 lorry loads of aid per day initially, and then quickly scale up to about 150 lorry loads. A lorry can typically carry about 20 tons of supplies.

The UN has blamed the severe food shortage on Israeli restrictions on deliveries, the ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of order.

On Friday, the UN said a daily average of 192 aid lorries entered Gaza during April via the Egyptian-controlled Rafah and Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossings, which are in southern Gaza.

The figure did not cover two recently-opened Israeli-controlled entry points in central and northern Gaza.

Israeli Defense Ministry body Cogat said an average of 350 lorries entered Gaza daily through all crossings in the week beginning April 07.

It has insisted that Israel is not limiting aid deliveries and has blamed the UN for failing to distribute it to those in need inside Gaza.

 

Iran committed to Persian Gulf security

The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has delivered a resolute message reaffirming Iran's unwavering dedication to fostering peace, security, brotherhood, and friendship in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri made the remarks on Persian Gulf Day as he shed light on the momentous historical event of the Portuguese occupation of the Persian Gulf, which finally ceased on April 29, 1622, after 117 years.

In a comprehensive address, Tangsiri underscored the economic significance of the Persian Gulf, revealing that a staggering 40% of the globe's gas and a commanding 62% of its oil reserves are nestled within its shores. 

He also reiterated Iran's steadfast commitment to safeguarding the vital Strait of Hormuz, a bustling maritime thoroughfare facilitating the passage of 83 vessels daily and ensuring uninterrupted global trade.

Despite external challenges, Tangsiri emphasized Iran's proactive policy to foster peace and solidarity with fellow Muslim nations in the region. 

He articulated Iran's steadfast rejection of warmongering agendas juxtaposed against Tehran’s steadfast advocacy for diplomacy and cooperation.

"The region holds strategic and economic significance for both Iran and our neighboring nations," asserted the IRGC navy chief, underscoring that foreign entities harbor nefarious intentions through illegitimate presence and arms sales in the Persian Gulf.

He further remarked, "Those arriving from distant lands to this region aren't seeking security. We've extended a message of peace, friendship, and solidarity to the Muslim nations in the vicinity."

Tangsiri went on to emphasize Iran's commitment to "mutual interests with regional countries."

Concluding on a forward-looking note, Tangsiri echoed the imperative of executing the directives of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, particularly in cultivating maritime awareness among the nation's youth. 

The Persian Gulf, spanning around 251,000 square kilometers, is bordered to the north by the Arvand River, delineating the boundary between Iran and Iraq, and to the south by the Strait of Hormuz, linking the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean.

This crucial waterway acts as a vital international trade route, facilitating commerce between West Asia, Africa, India, and China.

 

Pakistan cautious ahead of key IMF talks

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) maintained the policy rate at 22%, on April 29, 2023. Market expectations were divided between no-change and a cut.

CPI had decelerated to 20% in March from a recent peak of 38% (May 2023), and the CA balance in March was a surplus of US$619 million, with 9MFY24 current account deficit of only US$0.5 billion – both, along with ongoing fiscal contraction, supported a rate cut.

However, the SBP overweighed the risks to inflation emanating from – a volatile geopolitical backdrop due to tensions in the Middle East and its impact on global oil prices, other global commodity prices likely to have bottomed out, and perhaps more importantly, the terms of the next IMF program.

Despite the tight monetary conditions, the SBP’s outlook for GDP growth for FY24 of 2-3% remains intact, supported by a robust agricultural sector. Most major crops (rice and maize) are projected to exceed the targets for the year. LSM growth in 8MFY24 was negative 0.5% as against negative4% last year, but it is expected to perform better in the remaining months.

Core inflation continued to decline in March – to 15.7% from 18.1% in February 2024. Encouragingly, the contribution of wage growth to overall CPI has also diminished considerably in recent months. These reinforce the outlook for continued disinflation in the coming months. However, risks to inflation emanate from volatile geopolitics, global commodity prices and the extent to which the next fiscal budget will be inflationary.

External financial inflows in Pakistan have been weak in recent months, as global central banks have adopted a cautious policy stance. The SBP wants to build-up further FX buffers (in the face of above uncertainties) before adopting an accommodative stance.

Outstanding debt repayments until June 2024 are US$1.8 billion (principal only), while Pakistan is likely to receive the final tranche of IMF SBA program, of US$1.1 billion.

Monetary aggregates (M2 growth) is expected to decelerate in the coming months to under inflation (from 17.1% in March), and the SBP expects the government to maintain the primary surplus of around 1.8% of GDP until year-end.

Analysts believe even if inflation and the external account continue to improve in the coming months, the June announcement would be mainly influenced by IMF conditions for a new program – any further adjustments in energy tariffs and the budgetary measures that the Fund will demand.

 

 

Demands for imposing sanctions on Israel

The Arab –Islamic Ministerial Committee called on the international community to impose effective sanctions on Israel, including halting arms export in response to its violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and its ongoing war crimes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The meeting of the Ministerial Committee, assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit, was presided over by Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh on Sunday. The ministers also stressed the need to activate international legal tools to hold Israel accountable for these crimes and the need to stop settler terrorism and take clear and strict positions against it.

The meeting discussed the mechanisms to intensify joint Arab and Islamic action to reach an immediate cessation to end the war on the Gaza Strip and ensure the protection of civilians by international humanitarian law, in addition to continuing all efforts aimed at international recognition of an independent Palestinian state, to achieve the aspirations of the Palestinian people and sustainable and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to all parts of the Gaza Strip.

The meeting also discussed taking the necessary steps to implement the two-state solution and recognizing the State of Palestine on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The ministers emphasized that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory and renewed their categorical rejection of any attempts to displace the Palestinian people outside their land and any military operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah.

The ministers also expressed their concern about the measures taken against peaceful demonstrators in the Western countries demanding an end to the war in Gaza and the severe crimes and violations being perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinians.

The committee members who participated in the meeting included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan Ayman Al-Safadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye Hakan Fidan, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Hissein Brahim Taha, Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein Al Sheikh, and Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Dr. Mohammed Al Khulaifi.

Meanwhile, the developments in Gaza dominated in the discussions held by Prince Faisal bin Farhan with his counterparts in Arab, Asian and European countries, on Sunday, on the sidelines of the special meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh.

During his meeting with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed bilateral relations between the two countries, and ways to strengthen and develop them in a way that achieves common interests. Prince Faisal discussed with his Norwegian counterpart Espen Barth Eide the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the efforts made to address them.

During the meeting with Malaysian counterpart Mohamed Hassan, the two sides reviewed ways to enhance bilateral relations and joint cooperation in various fields.

The Saudi foreign minister also discussed with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka Ali Sabry bilateral relations and ways to strengthen and develop them, in addition to discussing the consolidation of bilateral coordination in many fields, and exchanging views on regional and international issues

 

Why discredit pro-Gaza campus protests?

Progressives in Congress this week have joined professors and Holocaust survivors in supporting peaceful student protests against the US-backed Israeli assault of the Gaza Strip as the demonstrators have been demonized by the White House, Democratic and Republican political leaders, police, administrators, and the corporate media.

"Peaceful protest is a central tenet of our democracy and students standing for justice have often been a catalyst for much-needed change," Rep. Ayanna Pressley said Friday. "From the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War protests, the struggle for gender equality, and the movement for Black lives, to the global movement for peace in Israel and Palestine, many of the rights we tout today were earned thanks to the sweat equity of students demonstrating on college campuses across the nation."

Already, hundreds of students and faculty have been arrested for protesting at dozens of US college and university campuses.

Pressley, who supports a cease-fire in Gaza, stressed that "every student, regardless of background or faith, has a right to feel safe and show up in the world without fear or discrimination—and we must ensure that those exercising their right to free speech are met with dignity and respect, not criminalization."

"We cannot lose sight of the horrific injustices that Palestinians in Gaza are facing."

"That is why I am deeply concerned about misinformation that aims to undermine this movement, outside agitators that detract from peaceful solidarity actions and the aggressive response by law enforcement to students peacefully protesting across the country," Pressley said. "The National Guard or riot police should not be called in response to students' peaceful freedom of expression."

"I am grateful to students nationwide and across the Massachusetts 7th—at Emerson, Northeastern, MIT, Tufts, Boston University, Harvard, and more—who are raising their voices and putting their bodies on the line to press for action to save lives in Gaza," she added. "That is what this movement is about. We cannot lose sight of the horrific injustices that Palestinians in Gaza are facing and I am proud to stand in solidarity with peaceful protestors."

Since October, Israeli forces have killed at least 34,356 Palestinians, wounded another 77,368, and displaced around 90% of the besieged enclave's 2.3 million people. Thousands more remain missing in the rubble of devastated civilian infrastructure. The International Court of Justice has deemed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war—fueled by US weapons and diplomatic support—plausibly genocidal.

Rep. Ilhan Omar's daughter Isra Hirsi was suspended from Columbia University's Barnard College earlier this month for "standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing genocide." Omar—a war refugee and longtime critic of the Israeli government—has not only grilled the Ivy League school's president at a congressional hearing but also attended the ongoing demonstration.

"I had the honor of seeing the Columbia University anti-war encampment firsthand," Omar said Thursday. "Contrary to right-wing attacks, these students are joyfully protesting for peace and an end to the genocide taking place in Gaza. I'm in awe of their bravery and courage."

I had the honor of seeing the Columbia University anti-war encampment firsthand.

Contrary to right-wing attacks, these students are joyfully protesting for peace and an end to the genocide taking place in Gaza.

Omar is a frequent target of right-wing attacks, which she has faced in the past for being outspoken on foreign policy issues and this month for supporting student anti-war protesters.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer claimed that "Omar's pro-Hamas rhetoric solidifies the Democrat Party as the pro-terrorist party."

Responding to Emmer, Rep. Jamaal Bowman said that "this rampant Islamophobia is unacceptable. My sister Ilhan Omar is standing up with the students peacefully demanding a cease-fire to end the bombing, starving, and killing of Palestinian people. No amount of hatred is going to stop this movement for peace."

Bowman—who faces a primary challenger backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee—has also slammed House Speaker Mike Johnson's trip to Columbia and law enforcement's crackdown against students.

"As an educator who personally experienced the overpolicing of our schools, this is personal to me," Bowman said. "We must resist right-wing demagoguery and stop suppressing peaceful protest if we are to keep students safe."

Both Bowman and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited the Columbia encampment on Friday. The congresswoman has also publicly challenged comments from New York Police Department of Patrol John Chell and taken aim at "vulnerable NY Republicans in tight seats" who have gone to campus to condemn the nationwide demonstrations.

"They have played a key role drumming up pressure to crack down on students and asymmetrically police Palestinian human rights speech," Ocasio-Cortez said of her Republican colleagues. "Those campus hearings? GOP-led. They need to lose."

Police violence against students and professors has been on display across the country. A day after state troopers descended on a demonstration at the University of Texas at Austin, Rep. Greg Casar addressed protesters, noting the decades of protests at the campus.

"We need a cease-fire now in Gaza. And it is up to us to live that out here today," Casar said, with the crowd echoing his speech line by line. "My message to the university is clear: Students and faculty are not the enemy. Students and faculty are the university. We are the university. This is our democracy. And we are going to save it, here and for the world."

"I am so proud of each and every one of you. Because you have raised your voices, Austin is the largest city in this country where your entire Democratic delegation voted 'no' on sending more weapons to Netanyahu," he noted, eliciting cheers. "There are millions more lives at stake and your continued organizing is the only way we can stop being complicit in this killing and instead get to saving our shared humanity. Solidarity forever."

After defeating a primary challenger backed by a billionaire Republican megadonor and Netanyahu ally earlier this week, Rep. Summer Lee on Thursday addressed the University of Pittsburgh's encampment.

"While Netanyahu compares students on campuses like Pitt—including Jewish students—protesting peacefully against genocide to Nazis and attempts to define the limits of our free speech and assembly, it's worth noting that there are no universities left in Gaza from Israeli and US bombs," Lee said in a social media post about her speech.

"We must always confront and root out antisemitism anywhere it appears, and not let the white nationalist GOP be the arbiters or weaponizers of it," she continued. "Students engaging in the time-honored tradition of activism and civil disobedience is a crucial right we must all protect."

Rep Summer Lee drops by the University of Pittsburgh’s Palestine encampment to support and give propers to the students leading the fight for Pitt to divest from the occupation as part of the broader student movement that erupted across the US.

As Common Dreams reported Thursday, Jewish Sen. Bernie Sanders—who lost family members to the Holocaust—also pushed back against Netanyahu's mischaracterization of US campus protests, asserting, "It is not antisemitic to hold you accountable for your actions."

Others who have spoken out this week include Rep. Hank Johnson, who denounced Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's decision to deploy the Georgia State Patrol at Emory University, saying the officers have "no place on the college campus. And neither do outside agitators who seek to usurp the peaceful protests against the Netanyahu government's killing of tens of thousands of innocent Gazans by giving life to a false narrative that the protest movement is violent and antisemitic."

Drawing on her own experiences with the Black Lives Matter movement, Rep. Cori Bush said "as a Ferguson activist, I know what it's like to have agitators infiltrate our movement, manipulate the press, and fuel the suppression of dissent by public officials and law enforcement. We must reject these tactics to silence anti-war activists demanding divestment from genocide."

Rep. Delia Ramirez declared that "the rights to peaceful assembly and to express dissent are constitutional freedoms. Criminalizing young people who are using their voices to call for peace is not only harmful; it endangers the well-being of the students and the health of our multiracial, multicultural democracy. Resisting war and standing up for peace are not a crime."

 

Iran denounces new sanctions

The Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani has refuted the charges made against Tehran in a recent resolution passed by the European Parliament, and denounced the new sanctions that the United States, Britain and Canada have placed on a number of Iranian citizens and firms.

The spokesperson also attacked several European nations for adhering to the harsh policies of the US administration by criticizing the European Parliament's decision against Iran.

He emphasized that Iran’s military capabilities are built in accordance with its needs to preserve territorial integrity and sovereignty, defend national security and interests, and provide a legitimate and deterrent defense against external threats and acts of aggression.

According to Kanaani, “The Islamic Republic of Iran is a major partner of the international community in providing peace and security to the region and the world, as well as in the fight against international terrorism.”

Imposing the sanctions, he said, the sanctions against Iran’s defense sector will actually present a chance to advance the nation’s military and defense capabilities and self-sufficiency, rather than weakening its resolve to strengthen its defense of its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests.

“Many nations and governments, specifically in the West Asia region, hold out no hope of the role of the US and its European allies in the establishment of stability and security in the region anymore,” the spokesman continued. 

His remarks followed the announcement of further sanctions against Iran on Thursday by the US, Britain, and Canada in response to its retaliatory strike against Israeli military targets on April 13.

The three states said that they will punish people and companies “closely involved” in Iran’s drone manufacture in order to target the country’s drone and missile sectors.

By a vote of 357 to 20, the European Parliament on Thursday passed a resolution denouncing Iran’s use of drones and missiles against the Israeli regime and urging the imposition of more penalties on Iranian organizations.

The Treasury Department and the State Department said on Tuesday that the United States government has imposed charges and penalties on four Iranian nationals in connection with an alleged multi-year cyber operation that targeted over a dozen American firms.

The Treasury Department issued sanctions on two firms, Dadeh Afzar Arman and Mehrsam Andisheh Saz Nik, which it claimed employed the individual defendants and served as front organizations for Iran’s Revolution Guards cyber command.

The business targets, according to federal prosecutors in Manhattan, were mostly defense contractors with access to confidential data; other targets included an accountancy firm and a hotel company located in New York. 

“These actors targeted more than a dozen US companies and government entities through cyber operations, including spear phishing and malware attacks,” the US Treasury Department said in a statement.

The defendants, according to the prosecution, used spearfishing—a tactic that entails deceiving email recipients into clicking on harmful links—and impersonating women to win over people’s trust in order to infect computers with malware.

The Israeli airstrike, which took place in Damascus’s Mezzeh district, resulted in the deaths of seven military advisors from the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). Iranian officials have vowed a decisive response to what they described as a violation of international obligations and conventions.

Zahra Ershadi, Iran’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, told the 15-member Security Council that Iran reserves the right "to take a decisive response" to the attack, saying Israel violated the founding UN Charter, international law, and the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises.

Israel’s crime clearly breached the basic principles of diplomatic and consular immunity, as well as the 1961 Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and the 1973 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes, the diplomat stated.