The Biden administration’s ambitious plan to deliver aid to Gaza via a temporary pier has ended in catastrophic failure, with the pier breaking apart after just 20 days in operation. Despite a grandiose announcement by President Biden during his State of the Union address in March, the pier’s fragile design and inadequate construction proved no match for the harsh marine environment.
“We attached a temporary pier to Gaza to deliver aid, but unfortunately, it was not as successful as we had hoped,” President Biden admitted during a Thursday press conference at the NATO summit. “It was a disappointment to me that the port we attached from Cyprus didn’t work out.”
The pier, which was operational for a mere 20 days, delivered a paltry one day’s worth of food before succumbing to the elements. The $230 million project, funded by American taxpayers, was beset by a series of setbacks, including multiple attempts to reattach and repair the pier after it broke apart.
Naval experts have criticized the pier’s design, stating that it was never intended for construction in an open sea, where waves larger than four feet could pose a significant threat. In the end, the pier was dismantled, reattached, shut down, and dismantled again, before being finally abandoned.
Despite the failure of the pier, the U.S. military attempted to reattach it earlier this week, only to be thwarted again. The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that the pier would be reattached for a final time to distribute the remaining aid and then permanently dismantled.
The true extent of the aid delivered to those in need remains unclear, with much of the supplies stored in Cyprus or at distribution points in Gaza. Humanitarian aid workers and organizations suspended operations following rumors that the Israel Defense Forces had used the pier in a hostage rescue operation, and the pier itself was regularly targeted by gunfire and mortars. Additionally, troops were working grueling shifts, with some reporting injuries and lack of adequate food and sleep.
