US to axe Gaza aid pier after limited use due to bad weather and security concerns

Spokesman Major General Patrick Ryder said US troops had tried to reconnect the pier to Gaza's shoreline, but failed because of "technical and weather-related issues". Bad weather at the end of June had led to the floating pier being removed previously.While Israel has resisted US and international demands to let more aid into Gaza by land, 8,100 tonnes of food have been delivered to the besieged strip via the pier since the operation began in mid-May. Humanitarian groups, however, say it is only a small portion of what is urgently needed.

According to Military Times, the operation to build, install and use the floating structure is estimated to have cost $270m and resulted in injuries to three US service members, with one service member needing to be evacuated back to the United States.But Maj Gen Ryder stressed the pier was never meant to be a permanent fixture of the aid operation. "As highlighted in the initial deployment announcement, the pier has always been intended as a temporary solution to enable the additional flow of aid into Gaza during a period of dire humanitarian need," he said. "The pier will soon cease operations, with more details on that process and timing available in the coming days."More than 8,100 tonnes of humanitarian aid has been delivered from the pier, according to the Pentagon (Picture: Department of Defence)

Before the start of the Israel-Hamas war last October, about 500 aid trucks entered Gaza every day, according to the United Nations.While the comparisons may not be exact, the US pier has delivered over two months roughly what used to be delivered in one day before the war, BBC reports suggest.

Bad weather and security issues on the ground have delayed and derailed the mission over the two months since the launch of the operation. US troops removed the pier on 28 June due to bad weather, moving it to the port of Ashdod in Israel. Distribution of aid had already stopped due to security concerns. The pier was first damaged by high winds and heavy seas on 25 May, shortly after it began operating, and was removed for repairs.It was reconnected on 7 June, removed again on 14 June due to bad weather, and finally removed on 28 June after being put back only days earlier.

The UN suspended deliveries from the pier on 9 June, one day after the Israeli military used the surrounding area for airlifts following a hostage rescue that resulted in more than 270 Palestinian deaths. While US and Israeli officials stated that the pier was not used in the raid, UN officials expressed concerns that any perceived association could endanger their aid work in Gaza.According to Military Times, aid brought through the pier into the secure area on the beach piled up for days while talks continued between the UN and Israel, with the World Food Programme hiring a contractor to move the aid from the beach to prevent the food and other supplies from spoiling.

Source : forces.net