The United States has successfully reattached a temporary pier to the Gaza coast, allowing humanitarian aid deliveries to resume, the Pentagon announced on Thursday. The pier, designed to facilitate the flow of assistance to Gaza, had been temporarily relocated to an Israeli port to safeguard it from expected high seas. This marks the second time adverse weather conditions necessitated its detachment since its initial installation in mid-May.
Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder confirmed that US Central Command personnel, with support from Israeli forces, reanchored and reestablished the pier without deploying American troops on the ground in Gaza. He noted that overnight aid deliveries via the pier have now resumed, bringing the total amount of aid delivered through the structure to over 4,100 metric tons (approximately nine million pounds).
The pier has faced multiple challenges due to weather conditions. After its initial installation, it was damaged by severe weather in late May and required removal for repairs. It was reattached on June 7 but had to be removed again on June 14 due to similar conditions.
Efforts to deliver aid via the pier have also been complicated by security concerns. The UN World Food Program recently suspended aid distribution from the pier to reassess the security situation following a nearby Israeli military operation. This operation, which aimed to free four hostages, resulted in significant casualties, with Gaza’s health ministry reporting over 270 Palestinian deaths.
The reestablishment of the pier comes amid ongoing conflict in Gaza, which erupted following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7. The attack led to the deaths of 1,194 people, mostly civilians, and the taking of hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza, according to Israeli sources. In response, Israel launched a retaliatory offensive that has resulted in at least 37,431 deaths in Gaza, predominantly among civilians, as reported by the territory’s health ministry.
The resumption of aid deliveries is a crucial development as Gaza continues to face severe humanitarian challenges due to the ongoing conflict.
