U.S. Central Command Halts Gaza Pier Construction Due to Weather Conditions
May 3 (UPI) — U.S. Central Command announced on Thursday that construction of the pier in Gaza has been temporarily paused due to unsafe weather conditions. The partially built pier, which was being constructed offshore to avoid the fighting in Gaza, has now been moved to the Port of Ashdod in Israel after high winds and sea swells made it dangerous for workers in the Mediterranean.
President Joe Biden had pledged in March to send U.S. forces to build a temporary pier that would be used to send humanitarian aid via a maritime route from Cyprus to Gaza. The United States has deployed about 1,000 troops, including the 7th Transportation Brigade and the U.S. Ready Reserve Fleet, for this mission.
The decision to send aid through a maritime route comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prohibited the import of humanitarian aid via land routes. With the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt now open, and the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and southern Gaza also operational, the limited number of aid trucks entering Gaza is still not enough to prevent an impending famine caused by the ongoing conflict.
The construction of the Gaza pier is part of the U.S. military’s Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore capability, allowing for ship-to-shore cargo distribution where a usable pier is not available. Once completed, the pier will enable the United States and its allies to import large quantities of humanitarian aid directly from ships to the shore, helping to alleviate the dire situation in Gaza.