A pier built by the U.S. military to deliver aid to Gaza was closed twice as fighting between Israel and Hamas continued, but has since reopened.
The pier was up and running again on Thursday, and relief supplies were being transported to shore.
Pentagon spokesman Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Thursday that humanitarian deliveries had resumed, with more than 1.4 million pounds of supplies having been transported to assembly points in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Ryder told reporters on Tuesday that the aim was to have the jetty, which was dismantled last week in anticipation of ocean-going traffic, reopened as soon as this week.
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US troops set up the pier last month to deliver badly needed humanitarian aid to the exclave, which has been hit by fierce fighting for more than eight months in the war between Israel and Hamas. (U.S. Army via The Associated Press)
The United States has spent about $320 million to build a pier on the Mediterranean Sea to facilitate the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip, but the pier has been damaged by bad weather and there have been chaotic scenes of hundreds of Palestinians looting aid convoys.
The pier has faced problems since it opened in late May, with heavy weather damaging the structure and forcing it to be closed after four boats that were used to stabilize the pier crashed in rough seas, forcing it to be closed.
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On May 17, 2024, trucks loaded with humanitarian aid from the United Arab Emirates and the United States Agency for International Development passed through Trident Piers and arrived on Gaza’s shores. (Staff Sgt. Malcolm Cohens-Ashley/U.S. Army Central News Agency via The Associated Press)
The Biden administration announced plans for the pier in March as a way to provide vital aid to Palestinians at a time when basic goods are scarce in the Gaza Strip.
The pier collapse was the result of a massive Israeli attack Operation Rafah, For the first time since the war began, tanks entered the city center.
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An image provided by U.S. Central Command shows U.S. Army Soldiers with the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), U.S. Navy Sailors with the 1st Amphibious Construction Battalion and the Israel Defense Forces installing a Trident pier on a beach in the Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 16, 2024. The temporary pier is part of the Joint Coastal Logistics Function. (U.S. Central Command via The Associated Press)
Ryder said Tuesday he was unaware of any plans to demolish the pier.
“At this point we don’t have a specific timeline for when the pier will be shut down, but it’s important to note that this was planned from the beginning as a temporary pier,” he said. “At this point we’re not aware of any firm timeline for when the pier will be shut down.”
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Asked by reporters on Thursday how much of the aid had actually been moved from the depot and sent to its final destination, Ryder did not respond, instead referring the answer to USAID and others responsible for distribution.
Still, he said, more than 9.1 million pounds of humanitarian aid has been delivered through the maritime corridor since May 17, when the temporary pier first began operations.
Ryder reiterated the same message he has had on Thursday: that it is the Defense Department’s intention that the pier is a temporary solution, but that no end date for the mission has yet been determined.
