US floating pier hits brick as it fails to get in place, operational
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The Israeli invasion of Rafah could further complicate matters, raising security concerns and affecting the timing of the pier's deployment.
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In this image provided by the US Army, soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) and sailors attached to the M/V Roy P. Benavidez assemble the Roll-On, Roll-Off Distribution Facility (RRDF), or floating pier, off the shore of Gaza in the Mediterranean Sea on April 26, 2024. (US Army/AP)
The US is facing challenges in deploying its floating pier, known as Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS), in the eastern Mediterranean, CNN reported on Friday.
The pier, allegedly intended to facilitate aid delivery to Gaza from Cyprus, had to be relocated to the Port of Asdod due to rough seas and has yet to be deployed, as per the report.
Even when operational, the pier's effectiveness may be hindered by weather and sea conditions, it added.
In further detail, the US pier can only operate safely under specific conditions, with waves no higher than three feet and winds below 15 miles per hour, as outlined in a 2006 Naval War College paper. However, sea conditions in the area often approach or exceed these limits.
Additionally, 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.
Meanwhile, the US aims to proceed with deploying the system "in the coming days," according to a Pentagon spokesperson. Initial aid supplies from Cyprus are reportedly being transferred to another ship, the M/V Roy P. Benavidez, which is currently stationed off the coast of Gaza and supporting the maritime corridor effort.
This comes shortly after the Pentagon announced on Tuesday that the construction of the Gaza offshore pier by the US military has been completed. However, due to weather conditions, it is currently deemed unsafe to relocate the two-part facility.
"As of today, the construction of the two portions of the JLOTS (Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore) – the floating pier and the Trident pier – are complete and awaiting final movement offshore," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in a press conference.
Read more: UN experts warn US Gaza aid pier to facilitate Rafah invasion
'Israel' closure of Gaza crossings 'completely crippling aid': UN
A top UN official said Thursday that "Israel's" blockade of major crossings into Gaza has shut off the main entrance route for supplies, notably gasoline, making humanitarian operations nearly impossible.
Andrea De Domenico, head of the United Nations Humanitarian Agency, OCHA, in the occupied Palestinian territories expressed that the "main entry point for all humanitarian aid" had been lost.
De Domenico said as quoted by AFP that while "Israel" claims to have reopened Karem Abu Salem on Wednesday, getting supplies in remains extremely difficult, adding that the Rafah gate, through which all petroleum into Gaza flows, remains blocked, implying that no fuel is entering.
"In Gaza there are no stocks" of fuel, he stated, emphasizing that this meant "no movement."
"It is completely crippling the humanitarian operations."
