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MacDill Based CENTCOM to oversee repair of U.S. Floating Pier providing aid to Gaza.

According to the Pentagon’s announcement on Tuesday, the temporary pier, constructed by the U.S. to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians, will be dismantled from the Gaza coast for repairs following damage caused by severe weather and rough seas. Within the next two days, the structure will be transported to Ashdod, a city in southern Israel, for restoration by the U.S. Central Command, as reported by Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh.

She stated that the repairs would require “at least more than a week,” after which the pier must be re-anchored to the Gaza beach. This pier, crucial for delivering humanitarian aid by sea, remains one of the limited avenues for food, water, and other essentials to reach Palestinians, whom the U.N. has declared are on the verge of famine due to the ongoing eight-month conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

  1. Damage and Repair: The pier off the coast of Gaza will be removed for repairs following damage. Within the next two days, it will be transported to Ashdod in southern Israel. The U.S. Central Command is set to manage the repair work, anticipated to last at least a week.  Once repaired, the pier must be re-anchored to the Gaza beach. Serving as an essential conduit for delivering food, water, and supplies to Palestinians facing famine amid the war between Israel and Hamas, this pier’s challenges continue, adding to the difficulties faced since the start of its recent operations.
  2. Previous Incidents: The pier witnessed injuries to three U.S. service members and the beaching of four vessels due to rough seas. Additionally, deliveries were suspended for two days when crowds swarmed aid trucks arriving from the pier, leading to the fatality of a Palestinian man. Nevertheless, the pier managed to successfully transport over 820 metric tons of food aid from the sea to the Gaza beach.
  3. Capacity and Challenges: Although the pier is crucial, it alone cannot supply the required aid for the starving population in Gaza. Even at full capacity, the pier can only supply enough food for half a million people. To address the needs of the other 1.8 million individuals, additional land crossings must be utilized.

The current situation underscores the critical need to identify alternative pathways for humanitarian aid, ensuring that essential supplies are delivered to those in need. The U.S. is committed to collaborating with the IDF to facilitate the delivery of food and vital supplies into Gaza during the repair of the pier.

Jim Williams, stationed in Washington, D.C., delivers in-depth written articles and video reports on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, as well as a range of other Middle Eastern topics. He has covered every U.S. Presidential election since 1980.

James Williams: Jim Williams is the Washington Bureau Chief, Digital Director as well as the Director of Special Projects for Genesis Communications. He is starting his third year as part of the team. This is Williams 40th year in the media business, and in that time he has served in a number of capacities. He is a seven time Emmy Award winning television producer, director, writer and executive. He has developed four regional sports networks, directed over 2,000 live sporting events including basketball, football, baseball hockey, soccer and even polo to name a few sports. Major events include three Olympic Games, two World Cups, two World Series, six NBA Playoffs, four Stanley Cup Playoffs, four NCAA Men’s National Basketball Championship Tournaments (March Madness), two Super Bowl and over a dozen college bowl games. On the entertainment side Williams was involved s and directed over 500 concerts for Showtime, Pay Per View and MTV Networks.
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