The US Army announced that the day before yesterday, Wednesday, it had reinstalled the temporary floating pier on the shore of the Gaza Strip, and that humanitarian aid had entered the Strip through it.
The US Army Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that trucks loaded with about 656 metric tons of humanitarian aid entered Gaza yesterday, Thursday, through the temporary dock, noting that this is considered the largest amount of aid to enter through it in one day.
She indicated in her statement that 4,160 metric tons of humanitarian aid had been delivered through the pier since its establishment.
She confirmed that the pier was moved to avoid the expected high waves and ensure the safety of its structure as well as the safety of its workers.
This comes a day after the Director of the US Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, acknowledged the difficulties facing the terminal, and confirmed that land crossings are less expensive and allow the continued flow of relief to the residents of the Strip.
The New York Times, citing relief organizations: The floating dock in Gaza has largely failed and may be dismantled early#Gaza_War #News pic.twitter.com/5SCMaOu66V
– Tel Aviv Tribune Channel (@AJArabic) June 19, 2024
The Jerusalem Post newspaper reported that the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) is seeking to return the pier to the shores of Gaza to refute reports that the pier will be closed earlier than expected, and it quoted an American official as saying that no deadline has yet been set for completing the pier’s mission.
The Israeli newspaper said that the pier was restored, but there is no organization responsible for distributing the humanitarian aid that entered through it.
Last Friday, the US Army Central Command announced that it had decided to temporarily move the pier from its location on the Gaza coast to the Israeli port of Ashdod again, due to what was said to be expectations of rising sea waves.
Centcom said in a statement at the time, “Today, due to expectations of high sea waves, the floating dock will be removed from its location in Gaza and moved again to Ashdod.”
She added, “We did not take the decision to temporarily move the dock lightly, but it is necessary to ensure that the temporary dock continues to provide aid to Gaza in the future.”
On June 7, the US Central Command announced the reconstruction of the floating pier off the coast of Gaza designated for transporting limited amounts of aid to the besieged Strip, after its collapse “due to rough waves.”
The floating dock was opened on May 17, but it quickly collapsed after a week of operation due to the waves, and parts of it separated and reached the shore of the city of Ashdod.
Palestinian circles say that the purpose of establishing the floating dock is to “serve the hidden political interests” of Israel and the United States, contrary to what is portrayed by Washington and Tel Aviv as a “humanitarian step.”
