US military halts operation of Gaza pier
The makeshift US military pier for humanitarian aid supplies at the Gaza Strip coast will soon completely shut down. The pier was always intended to be temporary, to enable the delivery of additional aid to the coastal area, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder stated. The operation is expected to be halted soon. Further details regarding the schedule will be shared later.
The structure was dismantled at the end of June due to rough seas and transported to Ashdod on the Israeli coast. An attempt was made on a Wednesday to reanchor the provisional pier back at the Gaza Strip coast. However, this was unsuccessful due to technical and weather-related issues. The equipment will be returned to Ashdod. "A date for the reanchoring has not been set yet." It remains unclear if the temporary pier will be used again before the end of its operation.
The provisional arrangement involves cargo ships bringing humanitarian relief supplies from Cyprus first to a floating platform several kilometers off the Gaza Strip coast. The cargo is then transferred to smaller ships that can approach the shore more closely. These ships then dock at the temporary pier on the coast, where the aid is received and distributed by humanitarian organizations.
Since its commissioning in May, there have been persistent issues. The pier was damaged during rough seas. The distribution of aid for the suffering population in the contested coastal region also proved to be more than challenging.
The US Military initially used the temporary pier at Gaza-Piers for providing essential aid supplies to the region. Despite attempts to reanchor the berth, the operation had to be halted due to technical and weather-related issues.
