U.S. forces are nearing completion of a temporary port in the Mediterranean Sea off Gaza’s coast, with weather causing a recent delay. Construction was temporarily halted due to high winds and sea swells, leading military vessels and the pier to be relocated to the Israeli Port of Ashdod. Once operational, the pier will handle up to 150 aid trucks a day, with initial capacity at 90 trucks daily.
The construction includes a floating pier and causeway, allowing ships loaded with humanitarian aid to dock and unload. The aid will then be transferred to smaller vessels for transport to shore, where it will be distributed by humanitarian groups. The U.S. forces will not be directly involved in driving the trucks or aid distribution in Gaza.
Administrator Samantha Power announced the arrival of 500 pallets of aid in Cyprus, including food for 11,000 people, therapeutic foods, and relief supplies. The project is estimated to cost around $320 million and involves 1,000 U.S. forces over a two-month construction period.
The pier aims to provide an alternate route for international aid into Gaza following the conflict between Israel and Hamas. President Biden has urged Israel to allow more aid into Gaza and threatened to condition military aid on this issue. Challenges also include diversion of aid by Hamas on the ground in Gaza.
A new land route through the Erez crossing from Jordan faced difficulties with aid interception by Hamas, prompting condemnation from U.S. officials. The U.N. is working to recover the diverted aid, highlighting the challenges in delivering aid to Gaza.
