US army build temporary pier at Gaza

 

The United States has initiated the construction of a temporary pier at sea to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to the Pentagon. This effort aims to transport up to 150 trucks of aid per day to address the urgent needs of the population in Gaza.

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder announced that US military vessels, including the USNS Benavidez, have commenced the initial stages of constructing the temporary pier and causeway at sea. The mission is scheduled to begin delivering humanitarian assistance to Gaza from the sea in early May, starting with 90 trucks per day and scaling up to 150 trucks per day once operational capacity is achieved.

While the US military will oversee the construction and operation of the pier, there will be no US troops on the ground in Gaza. Instead, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will collaborate with the US military to anchor the causeway to the shore in Gaza. The IDF will also provide a security perimeter on the ground during the aid offloading process.

Despite the potential security risks posed by operating within range of rockets or missiles fired from Gaza, the US military has implemented measures to maximize force protection. US Navy destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean will complement the mission.

The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza underscores the urgency of this aid delivery effort, with the entire population facing acute food insecurity and significant portions facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity. USAID will work with the UN World Food Programme to distribute aid once it reaches Gaza.

The aid will be transported from Cyprus via commercial vessels to a floating pier anchored off the coast of Gaza. From there, smaller Army boats will shuttle the aid to the causeway anchored to the shore, where partner countries will pick up the aid for distribution.

The complex nature of this operation involves coordination between multiple entities, including USAID, the Cypriot government, the Israeli government, and the US military. Despite the challenges, the US aims to operate the pier for at least three months, with the goal of establishing a permanent commercial operation for aid delivery in the future.