The Pentagon said Tuesday that it has suspended the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza via its floating pier after mishaps in which four U.S. military vessels were beached, one U.S. service member was critically injured, and sections of the structure were ripped free in bad weather.
Pentagon suspends aid deliveries via Gaza pier after repeated mishaps
The gap in deliveries is likely to extend “at least a week,” said a Pentagon official, as the U.S. and Israeli militaries reassemble pieces of the damaged pier.
May 28, 2024 at 3:14 p.m. EDT The Washington Post
“The pier proved highly valuable in delivering aid to the people of Gaza,” Singh said. “Thus, upon completion of the pier repair and reassembly, the intention is to re-anchor the temporary pier to the coast of Gaza and resume humanitarian aid to the people who need it most.”
The project, announced by President Biden in March, is intended to provide an additional route to get aid to Gazan civilians on top of land routes that have been squeezed by Israeli officials and beset with looting and violence. While the U.S. military has been able to deliver more than 1,000 tons of aid over the pier this month, according to officials, its initial installation was delayed for days by bad weather, and it is unclear whether the refurbishment in Ashdod may render it less susceptible to future storms.
Singh, asked whether the pier is not sturdy enough to be used in such a manner, said that heavy seas in recent days and a North African storm system had combined to create “not an optimal environment” to operate the pier.
“Look, I can’t predict the weather,” she said. “But we believe that given the time of year, we will be able to re-anchor this pier and it will be able to be operational, and hopefully weather conditions won’t hinder it any more.”
The suspension of the pier was first reported by NBC News.
This is a developing story and will be updated