Two American officials told Reuters that the work of the floating dock in the Gaza Strip is expected to resume today, Thursday, to unload humanitarian aid needed by the residents of the Strip.
The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the pier was reconnected to the beach yesterday, Wednesday, after it was temporarily disconnected last Friday due to bad conditions at sea.
Aid began arriving through the dock built by the United States on May 17, and the United Nations said that it transported 137 truckloads of aid to the warehouses, which is equivalent to about 900 tons.
But then rough waves destroyed the pier, forcing repairs, and bad weather and security considerations limited the number of days it was open.
In March, US President Joe Biden announced a plan to establish a sea dock to deliver aid as famine approaches in the Gaza Strip, which is inhabited by about 2.3 million people due to the war launched by Israel against Gaza.
The US Army estimates that the cost of the dock is more than $200 million during the first 90 days.
It is unclear how long his work will continue.
Speaking at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Air Force spokesman Patrick Ryder declined to specify when the military might halt dock operations completely. He said that the dock has so far allowed more than 3,500 tons of aid to reach the shores of Gaza.
He told reporters, “Noting that this is always intended to be a temporary dock, I am not aware at this stage of any specific date for when we will stop.”
He added, “And again, taking a step back here, the big picture: whether by land, sea, or air, (the United States) is using all means to deliver aid to Gaza,” as he put it.