A temporary US pier intended to unload humanitarian aid for the besieged Gaza Strip was towed to an Israeli port after being swept away by waves, the Pentagon said.
This is the third time the pier has been moved away from the coast due to weather conditions since it was originally installed in mid-May.
“Due to high sea levels expected this weekend, Central Command has moved the temporary dock from its anchorage in Gaza and will tow it to Ashdod, Israel,” said Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon spokeswoman, citing the US military command responsible for the Middle East.
The spokeswoman did not provide a date for the restoration of the pier.
Construction was completed in May
President Joe Biden announced in March the installation of this floating dock by US troops off the coast of Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid by sea to the Palestinian enclave.
Its construction was completed at the beginning of May, but weather conditions did not allow it to operate before May 17th.
A week later, rough seas forced the withdrawal of four vessels involved in the operation. The dock was damaged three days later and had to be taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod for repairs.
The pier reopened on June 7 and was moved back to the port of Ashdod on the 14th due to bad weather.
Washington, Israel’s biggest supporter, installed this pier after Israel imposed severe restrictions on the land delivery of aid to the Palestinian territory, devastated after eight months of war.
According to the Pentagon, since May 17, the pier has allowed the delivery of more than 8,831 tons of humanitarian aid.
Aid distribution is problematic
The problem is that, once this aid has landed, its distribution becomes seriously problematic due to the security conditions in the Gaza Strip.
The World Food Programme, which is responsible for transporting aid arriving in Gaza via the temporary US pier, has also suspended operations in the enclave.
As a result, much of the aid remains locked away in nearly full warehouses. “There is still space, but it is usually full,” Singh said.
According to the United Nations, almost all of the Gaza Strip’s 2.4 million residents have been displaced by fighting and bombing and are food insecure and at risk of starving.
Since October 7, the day of Hamas’ unprecedented attack on southern Israel, the Israeli military has carried out a massive retaliatory military campaign and promised to exterminate the Palestinian Islamic movement.
Sources: AMPE, AFP, Reuters