U.S. MILITARY BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF GAZA AID PIER
US troops have begun construction of a maritime pier off the coast of Gaza that aims to speed the flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave when it becomes operational in May, the Pentagon said.
US President Joe Biden announced the pier in March as aid officials implored Israel to ease access for relief supplies into Gaza over land routes.
Whether the pier would succeed in boosting humanitarian aid was unclear, as international officials warned of the risk of famine in northern Gaza.
Israel’s six-month military campaign against Hamas has devastated the tiny Gaza Strip and plunged its 2.3 million people into a humanitarian catastrophe.
The construction of the new port appears to have been moving quickly over the past two weeks, according to an analysis of satellite images.
The port sits southwest of Gaza City, once the territory’s most-populous area before the Israeli ground offensive rolled through, pushing more than 1 million people south towards the town of Rafah on the Egyptian border.
A senior Biden administration official, who wished to remain anonymous, said humanitarian aid coming off the pier would need to pass through Israeli checkpoints on land.
That was despite the aid having already been inspected by Israel in Cyprus before being shipped to Gaza.
Israel wants to prevent any aid getting to Hamas fighters that boosts their war effort.
The prospect of checkpoints raises questions about possible delays even after aid reaches shore. The United Nations has long complained of obstacles to getting aid in and distributing it throughout Gaza.
“I can confirm that US military vessels, to include the USNS Benavidez, have begun to construct the initial stages of the temporary pier and causeway at sea,” Pentagon spokesman Major General Patrick Ryder said.
Concerns about the risk to American troops getting caught up in the Israel-Gaza war were underscored on Thursday as news emerged of a mortar attack near the area where the pier will eventually touch ground.
No US forces were present, however, and Biden has ordered they not step foot on the Gaza shore.
The pier will initially handle 90 trucks a day, but that could go up to 150 trucks daily when it is fully operational.
The United Nations said this week the daily average number of trucks entering Gaza during April was 200 and there had been a peak on Monday of 316.
About 1,000 US troops will support the military effort, including in coordination cells in Cyprus and Israel.
A third party would be driving trucks down the pier onto the beach, the official added.
The northern Gaza Strip was still heading towards a famine, the deputy UN food chief said on Thursday, appealing for more aid and for Israel to allow direct access from its southern Ashdod port to the Erez crossing.
In a statement, the Israeli military said it would provide security and logistics support for the pier.
An Israeli military brigade, along with Israeli Navy ships and air force, would protect US troops who are setting up the pier.