FILE - A ship is seen off the coast of Gaza near a U.S.-built floating pier that will be used to facilitate aid deliveries, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 16, 2024. AP
This would deal the final blow to a project long plagued by bad weather, security uncertainties, and difficulties getting food into the hands of starving Palestinians.
The officials said Tuesday that the goal is to clear whatever aid has piled up and get it to the secure area on the beach. Once that has been done, the Army will dismantle the pier and depart. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because final details are still being worked out.
The Pentagon said all along that the pier was only a temporary project, designed to prod Israel into opening and allowing aid to flow better through land routes — which are far more productive than the U.S.-led sea route.
U.S. troops removed the pier on June 28 because of bad weather and moved it to the port of Ashdod in Israel.
Since it was first maneuvered into position on 17 May, the pier has been operational for fewer than 20 days, and for most of those days, aid deliveries were simply unloaded on the beach without being distributed around Gaza because of security concerns, as reported by the Guardian.
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