The US military has completed construction of a giant metal pier that will be pierced into the northern Gaza coast within days, officials announced.
The completion of the giant temporary structure, about 1,500 feet long, or the length of five American football fields, marks the end of the Biden administration’s two-month commitment to open a $320 million humanitarian aid route through the Eastern Mediterranean. This is the first step in betting with dollars. Then on to Gaza, where Israel continues its war with the terrorist organization Hamas.
Construction of a new floating pier and embankment will be approved by President Biden and the Pentagon as aid delivery teams face unknown dangers and uncertainties as they try to circumvent the challenge of delivering aid to Gaza through the Rafah border. This poses risks for many people.
“You can expect this effort to be underway in the coming days, and we are confident that, working with our NGO partners, we can ensure the aid is delivered.” said Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon spokesperson. The secretary said Tuesday that humanitarian groups are ready for the first shipments through the new U.S. sea route.
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In this image provided by the U.S. Army, Soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) and sailors assigned to the MV Roy P. Benavidez assemble a roll-on roll-off distribution facility (RRDF), or floating pier, offshore. Masu. April 26, 2024, Gaza coast in the Mediterranean Sea. (U.S. military via AP)
The government’s efforts to open additional sea routes come as the escalating war between Israel and Hamas draws closer to the Rafah land crossing.
Scott Paul, deputy director of Oxfam Humanitarian Aid, said sea routes were “a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist” because all the aid needed could reach people by land.
Paul suggested that the amount of aid allowed to be provided to Gaza would depend on whether Israeli authorities allow it. Some officials have expressed concern that this aid could end up in the hands of Hamas, the very terrorist group that Israel seeks to remove from the Palestinian territories.
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“As with all land crossings, it ultimately depends on the consent of the Israeli government,” Paul said. “If Israel is comfortable allowing the maritime corridor to function, it will work on a limited basis. If Israel is not, it will not work. That is why it is a very, very expensive alternative. It becomes a means.”
The pier is part of the Army’s Joint Land-based Logistics (JLOTS) system, which provides critical bridging and water access capabilities. (U.S. military via AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser Ofir Falk said on Tuesday that Israel has allowed thousands of aid trucks into Gaza and will continue to do so.
Falk accused Hamas of disrupting aid distribution by hijacking and attacking convoys.
The Israeli military said in a statement Tuesday that it continues to act in accordance with international law to distribute aid to Gaza. It has also previously said there are no limits to the aid.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised Biden to authorize more aid and protect these workers.
Construction crews backed by the U.S. military in the eastern Mediterranean are building a giant metal dock, the first of a $320 million effort by the Biden administration to open a sea route for bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza. part completed. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Anastasia Moran, deputy director of the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian organization, said truckloads entering Gaza increased by 13% last month.
The Israeli-Hamas war has been particularly deadly for Palestinian civilians living in Gaza, with Palestinian health authorities estimating more than 35,000 people have died. Israeli authorities estimate the civilian death toll at about 16,000. According to a May 8 United Nations report, just under 13,000 women and children have been killed in the war so far.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
