- Biden plans to order the US military to build a port in Gaza to deliver aid.
- He'll announce the move during the State of the Union on Thursday, according to reports.
Threats from pro-Palestinian activists to sit out the 2024 election seem to be having an effect.
President Joe Biden will announce another shift in his Israel-Gaza policy during the State of the Union address on Thursday, ordering the military to build a port in Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid.
Multiple reports cited US officials who said the "emergency mission" to build the floating pier would let ships deliver tons of supplies.
Palestinians have been starving, and the area is on the brink of famine, according to the UN. The Gazan Health Ministry says more than 30,000 people have been killed since Israel began its bombardment of Gaza.
Israeli forces have blanketed Gazan cities with artillery and missile fire since Hamas launched terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, that killed nearly 1,200 people in Israel.
Hamas fighters took hostages during the attack, but despite a brief cease-fire and exchange of prisoners, many remain captive.
The brutal war has impacted Biden at home, as left-wing, pro-Palestinian voters have protested the US's backing of its ally, Israel, in the fight.
Recently, activists have encouraged angry voters to vote for "uncommitted" in the Democratic primary elections. Biden — who's not facing any real competition for his nomination bid — has lost thousands of votes across swing states to the effort.
The administration has been slowly softening its approach to the war, with Vice President Kamala Harris calling for a six-week cease-fire this week.
However, that speech was watered down from its original draft, NBC News reported, and Harris still emphasized that Hamas needs to reach a peaceful resolution to the war, which angered some activists who see Israel as the aggressor and call the assault a "genocide" against Palestinians.
As of Thursday — despite Biden's urging —no cease-fire has been reached, with Hamas representatives backing away from a US-backed deal, according to the New York Times.