US CENTCOM claims temporary pier for Gaza aid delivery installed
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The US CENTCOM states that the UN will be the entity responsible for receiving the aid on this temporary port and distributing it in Gaza.
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Soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) and sailors assemble the floating pier, off the shore of Gaza on April 26, 2024. (US Army/AP)
A temporary pier has been installed in Gaza for the alleged delivery of humanitarian aid, as claimed by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Thursday.
In a post on X, it said, "Today at approximately 7:40 a.m. (Gaza time) [4:40 GMT] United States Central Command personnel supporting the humanitarian mission to deliver additional humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in need anchored a temporary pier to the beach in Gaza."
"As part of this effort, no U.S. troops entered Gaza. Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days. The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza," it added.
Today at approximately 7:40 a.m. (Gaza time) United States Central Command personnel supporting the humanitarian mission to deliver additional humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in need anchored a temporary pier to the beach in Gaza. As part of this effort, no U.S. troops… pic.twitter.com/048seMnkLJ
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 16, 2024
Just last week, the US faced challenges in deploying its floating pier, known as Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS), in the eastern Mediterranean, CNN reported.
The pier, allegedly intended to facilitate aid delivery to Gaza from Cyprus, had to be relocated to the Port of Isdud due to rough seas and has yet to be deployed, as per the report.
Read more: UN experts warn US Gaza aid pier to facilitate Rafah invasion
Even when operational, the pier's effectiveness may be hindered by weather and sea conditions, it added. Moreover, the Israeli invasion of Rafah could further complicate matters, raising security concerns and affecting the timing of the pier's deployment. The intended staging area for aid in Gaza has already been targeted by Israeli mortar and rocket fire.
The Israeli occupation has been imposing a siege on Gaza since last October. Food, medicine, fuel, and water, among other basic necessities, were fully blocked from entering the Strip by the occupation, which only allowed insufficient portions to be delivered to the 2.2 million population later following massive global pressure.
Plans for the pier were first announced by US President Joe Biden in early March as the Israeli occupation forces held up much-needed aid deliveries by ground.
US officials claimed the process would not involve "boots on the ground" in Gaza, but American troops would come close to the besieged territory as they construct the pier.
