US Military Says Temporary Gaza Pier Is Ready To Receive Humanitarian Aid

 

File Photo: The U.S. military has completed installation of the temporary dock along Gaza's coast to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid by sea.

The U.S. military said Thursday it finished installing a floating pier along the Gaza coast, which will soon start receiving humanitarian aid for the enclave’s civilians through a new sea route, as the delivery of critical supplies from across the Egyptian border remains halted after the Rafah crossing was captured by Israeli forces last week.

KEY FACTS

The U.S. military’s Central Command said the pier was anchored to a beach in Gaza at around 7.40 a.m. local time and the process was carried out with no U.S. troops setting foot on the Palestinian enclave.

Without specifying an exact timeframe, CENTCOM said humanitarian aid will begin moving ashore from the pier “in the coming days.”

Aid delivered to the pier will be received by the United Nations, which will also coordinate its delivery.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The new aid route comes at a critical time for civilians in Gaza as the flow of aid from its southern border with Egypt has been suspended for more than a week. Aid supplies through the key Rafah border crossing were halted after Israeli forces captured the Gazan side of the crossing. Earlier this week, both Israeli and Egyptian officials blamed each other for the continued closure of the crossing. While the pier opens up another route for aid delivery into Gaza, aid agencies say it cannot fully substitute deliveries via land which are more frequent and cheaper to operate.

KEY BACKGROUND

President Biden ordered the U.S. military to set up the temporary dock in Gaza earlier this year to help expand aid delivery into the territory. Israeli officials also expressed their support for the plan. The complex plan involves international aid being dropped off in Cyprus, where it will be screened by Israeli officials before being loaded onto ships at the port of Larnaca. Ships carrying the aid will then take a 200-mile sea route before delivering aid at the pier. According to the Associated Press, Israeli forces are responsible for the security of the shore operations while two U.S. Navy warships remain stationed close to the area.