Gaza Seaport Aimed at 'Sending Palestinian Refugees to Europe,' Middle East Expert Says

Since the outbreak of the war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, US President Joe Biden and his administration have continued to demonstrate unwavering support for Israel, leading some critics to view Washington as a key player in the conflict.

However, a recent statement by Biden on Friday introduced a surprising development as he announced plans to direct the US military on an "emergency mission to establish a port in the Gaza Strip" to get humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave.

But observers see another aspect to the floating port, linked to encouraging voluntary Palestinian migration to Europe and eliminating the role of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, essentially placing Israel in control of all Gaza crossings and ending any Palestinian sovereignty over them.

'Hidden objectives'

Hisham Khreisat, a Jordanian military and strategic affairs expert, told Anadolu that "the floating port off the shores of Gaza is a humanitarian facade hiding voluntary migration to Europe."

"This military tactical port will receive Israeli approval because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been seeking this idea since the beginning of the war, aiming for the voluntary displacement of Gazans and their flee to Europe," he added.

He considered the idea of ​​establishing the port "not new," pointing out that it is "an old subject raised 10 years ago."

"But Avigdor Lieberman (leader of the far-right 'Israel Our Home' party) failed the idea when he was the defense minister at the time, and Minister of Transportation Israel Katz then," he added.

The expert continued: "Katz re-proposed the idea again, reaching an agreement from Cyprus and Greece."