The U.S.-built temporary pier delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza will be removed for repairs after sustaining damage from rough seas and adverse weather, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday. Over the next two days, the pier will be extracted and transported to Ashdod, a southern Israeli city, for repairs by U.S. Central Command, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh. The repair process is expected to take “at least over a week” before the pier can be re-anchored on the Gaza coast.
The pier, a critical conduit for humanitarian aid amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, has been operational for just two weeks. It has already faced significant challenges, including injuries to three U.S. service members and the beaching of four vessels due to heavy seas. Last week, aid deliveries were temporarily halted after crowds rushed aid trucks, resulting in the shooting death of a Palestinian man. Following this incident, the U.S. military, in coordination with the U.N. and Israeli officials, identified safer routes for aid trucks.
Despite these setbacks, the pier was operational until Saturday, when severe weather dislodged four Army boats used to transport aid from commercial vessels to the pier. Two of these vessels were beached on the Gaza coast, while the other two ended up near Ashkelon, Israel. Before the suspension, the pier had successfully delivered over 820 metric tons of food aid.
U.S. officials have consistently stated that the pier alone cannot meet the immense aid needs of Gaza’s population. At its peak, the pier can deliver food for 500,000 people, while the remaining 1.8 million people in Gaza require additional land crossings for aid delivery. The U.S. continues to provide airdrops of food, though these efforts also fall short of meeting the full demand.
The situation is further complicated by intensified Israeli military operations in Rafah, which have obstructed aid shipments through a vital crossing. While Israel claims to facilitate aid through the Kerem Shalom crossing, humanitarian organizations report difficulties in retrieving and distributing aid due to ongoing military activities.
This latest disruption underscores the challenges faced in delivering essential supplies to Gaza amidst the conflict, highlighting the urgent need for more secure and efficient aid routes.
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