US Gaza pier to be removed, relocated to Isdud due to 'high seas'
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The US Central Command has announced that the floating pier will be relocated due to expected high seas, marking another hit for Washington's supposed aid delivery efforts.
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United States soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) and sailors attached to the MV Roy P. Benavidez assemble the floating pier, off the shore of Gaza, Palestine, in the Mediterranean Sea on April 26, 2024. (AP)
The United States military's Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the floating pier positioned on the Gaza Strip's coastline will be towed back to Isdud [Ashdod].
CENTCOM said that the expected high seas were behind the decision to remove the floating pier from its anchor position in the Gaza Strip.
"The safety of our service members is a top priority and temporarily relocating the pier will prevent structural damage caused by the heightened sea state," CENTCOM stated.
Moreover, the statement indicated that sea-based aid deliveries to the Strip will be halted, as CENTCOM said that the decision has been made to "the temporary pier can continue to deliver aid in the future."
It said that after the period of high seas, the pier will be re-anchored to the coast of the Gaza Strip.
Plagued with consistent failures, JLOTS proves its ineffectiveness
Earlier on May 10, deployed US troops in the region faced difficulties when attempting to anchor to the floating pier, known as the Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS), in the eastern Mediterranean.
This forced US forces to relocate the JLOTS to the occupied port of Isdud, while CNN reported that even when operational, the pier's effectiveness may be hindered by weather and sea conditions.
Later on May 25, the pier was crushed under turbulent waters, as compartments floated all the way to the coast of Isdud, where video footage emerged of US and Israeli troops attempting to collect pieces that broke off from the main compartment.
As per a report published by Israeli broadcaster Channel 12, the Israeli Navy was deployed to retrieve the pieces that broke off from the JLOTS.
It is worth noting that the Pentagon allocated $320 million and deployed 1,000 soldiers and sailors to establish the pier, which was only brought up on May 15. Today's announcement cuts short its longest deployment to only 31 days. The mission reportedly involved fourteen ships from the US and other countries.
Aiding the war on Gaza or Palestinians?
The project has been criticized by humanitarian and international organizations. Concurrently, Washington continues to ignore traditional land routes for aid delivery into the Gaza Strip, in favor of unconventional and ineffective methods, such as airdrops and JLOTS-based deliveries.
JLOTS has even failed to meet the expectations of the Pentagon, which expected the pier to deliver an average of 90 truckloads of aid per day to the Gaza Strip. Moreover, the US has been accused of facilitating an Israeli operation in the Nuseirat, that led to an unprecedented massacre of Palestinian civilians in the area on June 8.
The pier continues to be plagued with operational difficulties, as well as accusations of its intended value, as critics continue to question its viability as an effective mode of aid delivery and the underlying motives behind its establishment.
