Photos reveal US military constructing floating dock at Gaza; Pentagon estimates $320 million spending.
Last week, work on a temporary pier began at sea, with military personnel from various vessels constructing the platform as seen in the photos. Additionally, a satellite image from Planet Labs displays the pier being built.
The Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary, Sabrina Singh, informed the media on Monday that the pier would cost the US approximately $320 million. This total takes into account all expenses related to building the system called Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS). While the cost of maintaining the pier is anticipated to rise in the coming months, operational costs have yet to be determined.
A senior military official revealed last week that the US planned to start delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza from the sea in early May. Initially, this would consist of 90 trucks per day, which would then increase to 150 trucks per day once the pier reached full functionality. The official insisted that there would be no US personnel on the ground in Gaza - a statement reiterated by President Joe Biden when he announced his plan for the pier in March.
Concerning the ongoing assistance mission, the official noted that the US military was prepared to carry out the mission "for several months." However, the primary aim was to transform the pier into a long-term commercial enterprise available to other countries and non-governmental organizations.
To facilitate this, the British Navy support ship RFA Cardigan Bay left Cyprus on Saturday to support the pier construction effort. The ship will provide accommodation for around 750 American sailors and soldiers involved in constructing the pier.
Once the pier is established, the World Food Programme (WFP) will coordinate aid distribution. USAID will collaborate with the United Nations to distribute aid upon its arrival in Gaza. Prior to the conflict, approximately 500 trucks of supplies entered the Palestinian enclave daily.
Previously, CNN reported that aid would travel from Cyprus via commercial ships, which would journey around 200 miles to the floating pier positioned off the Gaza coast. Afterward, US military boats equipped to carry 15 trucks of aid each will transport the aid to the causeway attached to the Gaza shore.
The pier's construction occurs as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensifies, with a death toll from Israeli bombardment rising. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reports that all 2.2 million Gaza citizens do not have sufficient food supplies, with half of the population at risk of starvation and a potential famine on the horizon.
Nervousness over a potential Israeli military operation in the Rafah region has increased, provoking demands for a truce to protect consistent aid delivery. Israel's allies, including the US, fear the operation could result in significant civilian casualties. On Monday, 22 people, including an infant and a toddler, were killed in an Israeli airstrike near Rafah.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged progress made in delivering aid to Gaza on Monday, but reaffirmed that it is not enough to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. Humanitarian organizations have persistently warned that Israel's restrictions on aid entry have all but stopped assistance from reaching the strip.
Peace talks and hostage negotiations are currently in progress. Hamas is considering Egypt's proposed framework, which involves releasing up to 33 hostages kidnapped from Israel in return for a momentary cessation of violence in Gaza. Israel awaits a response from Hamas, which is scheduled to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Monday. A working group comprised of Israeli intelligence and military personnel will reportedly travel to Cairo the following day.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
