A U.S.-built floating platform off the Gaza coast, made for delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians, is being temporarily removed after it broke apart in heavy seas, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said Tuesday that the pier will be sent to the southern Israeli city of Ashdod for U.S. Central Command to repair.
“The rebuilding and repairing of the pier will take at least over a week, and following completion will need to be re-anchored to the coast of Gaza,” Singh told reporters.
U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the construction of the $320 million platform in March.
The pier began operating two weeks ago but has run into several problems. Three U.S. soldiers taking part in the Gaza pier mission suffered injuries last week. Crowds last week rushed aid trucks, forcing deliveries to stop. Four of the pier’s vessels were beached because of rough seas.
“When it was operational, it was working,” Singh said.
Before its suspension, the pier facilitated the delivery of more than 820 metric tons of food aid from the sea onto the Gaza beach.
After the pier is repaired, Singh said, the Pentagon plans to re-anchor it and “resume humanitarian aid to the people who need it most.”
The U.S. plans to continue the airdrops of food but stressed that the pier cannot solely support the amount of aid needed for Gaza’s population.
More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The Israel-Hamas war was triggered by the October 7 Hamas terror attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and led to the capture of about 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters.
