The United States military has begun the construction of a large floating pier off the Gaza coast, a strategic initiative aimed at significantly boosting the delivery of humanitarian aid to the beleaguered Gaza Strip. The Defense Department reports that this initiative will enable ships to deliver aid from Cyprus directly to the pier where it will then be loaded onto trucks and transferred across Gaza.
US officials have asserted that the floating pier will be operational by early May, anticipating that up to 150 trucks of aid could be delivered daily. This volume of aid, translating to two million meals, is envisaged to be sufficient for nearly the entirety of Gaza’s 2.3 million population. The temporary pier will be attached to the shore by a causeway, to be assembled at sea, thus avoiding the need for US forces to set foot on Gazan soil.
While the construction of the pier is a response to the humanitarian crisis exacerbated by ongoing conflict, it does not come without complexities. According to Major General Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, more than 1,000 US troops will be involved in building the floating harbor, “US military vessels… have begun to construct the initial stages of the temporary pier and causeway at sea.”
The construction work and the subsequent transfer of aid from the pier to Gaza’s population will be provided security and logistical support by Israel. However, despite this cooperation, aid agencies express concerns over how the Israeli military will manage security, especially in the wake of an Israeli airstrike that killed seven World Central Kitchen workers on April 1st.
A senior American official, speaking to Reuters, underscored that humanitarian aid to be delivered off the pier would still need to navigate Israeli checkpoints on land. This requirement persists despite prior inspection and screening of the aid by Israel in Cyprus. Israel maintains that such measures are necessary to prevent aid from reaching Hamas fighters.
The necessity for additional checkpoints after aid is offloaded onto trucks has raised questions about potential delays. The United Nations and various aid organizations have long criticized the difficulties in delivering and distributing aid in Gaza. The World Food Programme, which has agreed to lead the delivery operation, has emphasized that Israel must ensure aid workers are not endangered.
The UN’s World Food Program has agreed to lead the aid delivery effort. Carl Skau, WFP’s deputy executive director, speaking Thursday at the UN, said it’s “necessary for us to be able to operate, reach communities, have access to needs, and to do so in a safe and secure way.” He also said the port mission must be just one part of a broader Israeli effort to improve sustainable land-based deliveries of aid to avert a famine.
The IDF has stated its commitment to the provision of security and logistics support for the Joint Logistics Over The Shore (JLOTS) initiative, which they consider part of broader humanitarian efforts. Nevertheless, the IDF’s proposed security measures, including reportedly seeking to install remote-controlled gun positions, have been met with resistance from the UN.
The US military’s operation is expected to run in parallel with other aid routes, with initial plans to handle 90 trucks a day, potentially increasing to 150 when fully operational.
Relevant articles:
– Gaza pier: US begins building floating base to boost aid, bbc.com, 04/27/2024
– US troops begin constructing Gaza pier, aiming to have it operational by early May, The Times of Israel, Fri, 26 Apr 2024 05:25:00 GMT
– Mortar attack on Gaza coast spotlights risk to U.S. pier mission, The Washington Post, Fri, 26 Apr 2024 02:26:00 GMT
– US military begins construction at sea on pier to help funnel more aid to Gaza, Stars and Stripes, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 22:55:32 GMT