Following Completion Of Temporary Pier In Gaza, Palestinian Resistance Factions Declare: Every Foreign Force In Gaza Territory Is A Legitimate Target

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On May 17, 2024, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on its X account that it had begun to transfer humanitarian aid from the temporary pier it erected for that purpose, to the Gaza beach.[1]Palestinian resistance factions, among them the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) expressed concern about the pier being operated by the Americans, and asserted that the U.S. is a full partner in "the Zionist genocide" against the Palestinians in Gaza. They warned against exploiting the pier to assist in the Israeli war effort or to harm the residents of the Gaza Strip. They also reiterated their threats to attack any foreign force on Gaza territory or on its coast.

The following are the details of the statement that refer to the operation of the pier, issued by the above organizations on May 18 and 19, 2024.

On May 18, 2024, in a statement in Arabic posted on its Telegram account, the PFLP Central Information Department, which is the signatory to the statement, noted that the erection of the temporary pier by the U.S. is "a source of concern," and warned of the danger of its being operated to achieve goals others than those for which it was erected – i.e., to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip – such as expelling residents of Gaza or for the defense of "the occupation." The PFLP warned every Palestinian, Arab, or international element against collaborating with the American government on the activities at the pier, and stressed the need to open all the border crossings with the Gaza Strip, including the land border at Rafah, instead of the temporary pier, and to ensure a continuous flow of aid into Gaza.

The PFLP reiterated its opposition to every "American, Zionist presence or [the presence] of any foreign force in the Gaza Strip, at the Rafah crossing, or in any other place in the territory of Gaza or along its coast." It asserted that it and the forces of the resistance would continue to relate to such forces as "an occupying force."[2]

It is notable that on April 28, 2024, following reports that the UK was considering sending soldiers to Gaza to escort future shipments of humanitarian aid from the floating pier, the PFLP warned that such forces would be viewed as "occupation forces" and "legitimate targets of the resistance."^[3]

On May 19, the PRC Information Bureau in Gaza issued a press release in which it warned against the erection of the temporary pier and asserted that "the American criminal government is a partner and primary supporter of the Zionist aggression and genocide against our people in the Gaza Strip." In its statement, the organization claimed that the pier served the interests of "the Zionist enemy" and is "a propaganda move, a hoax, and grants legitimacy to the siege and occupation of the Rafah crossing." He added that it was intended to mislead international opinion, which supports the Palestinians and opposes "the crimes of the Nazi enemy" in Gaza, and to divert attention from "the genocide and the war of starvation being waged by the Zionist entity" against the Palestinians.

The PRC claimed that whoever wants to help the Palestinians should first bring an end to the war against them and stop the supply of weapons and money to their enemy. It further stated that it opposes every "Zionist or foreign presence on the coast of Gaza, on the territory of the Gaza Strip, or at its border crossings." It also asserted that "any American, Zionist or other force found on our territory will be a legitimate target for the members of the resistance and our mujahideen."[4]