Biden Was Told Gaza Pier Would Undermine Efforts To Get Israel To Allow More Aid Into Gaza

President Biden ordered the construction of a temporary pier off Gaza despite concerns from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) that the project would undermine efforts to pressure Israel to allow more aid into the Strip via land crossings, USAID’s Inspector General said in a report on Tuesday.

The report said multiple USAID officials had “expressed concerns” that the focus on the pier “would detract from the Agency’s advocacy for opening land crossings, which were seen as more efficient and proven methods of transporting aid into Gaza.”

When President Biden first ordered the construction of the pier during his March State of the Union address, aid groups called the move a public relations stunt. They pointed out that it’s far more efficient to deliver aid through land crossings, the majority of which Israel has kept closed to aid.