The U.S. military repaired a temporary humanitarian aid pier and reattached it to the Gaza coast on Friday, more than a week after it broke offshore, the military said.
Army Corps of Engineers workers completed the work Friday morning, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters in a conference call. The $230 million floating dock, which U.S. officials have praised as part of a solution to bring more aid to famine-stricken Gaza, has been beset by logistical and security problems.
Admiral Cooper said aid would begin flowing through the pier again “in the coming days.”
He said military engineers “provided all necessary support to ensure the safety and location of the pier on the beach,” adding: “The US no-boots-on-the-ground policy remains in effect.” White House policy does not allow US troops in Gaza.
Once aid resumes, Admiral Cooper estimated, about a million pounds of goods would enter Gaza through the dock during each two-day period.
In early March, President Biden surprised the Pentagon by announcing that the US military would build a dock for Gaza.
In the days after they went into operation on May 17, the trucks were looted on their way to a warehouse, forcing the UN World Food Program to suspend operations. After officials tightened security, the weather worsened. U.S. officials expected the storm surge would not begin until late summer.
The situation in Gaza remains terrible. Health officials say more than 36,000 people have died; many people have been displaced; and the United Nations has warned that famine is coming.