The U.S. military repaired a makeshift dock used for humanitarian aid and re-secured it on the Gaza coast on Friday, more than a week after the Breaking up in the open seaThe military said.
Workers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed the work Friday morning, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters in a telephone briefing. U.S. officials have hailed the $230 million floating dock as part of a solution to getting more aid to famine-stricken Gaza, but it has been plagued by logistical and security issues.
Admiral Cooper said aid would be delivered through the terminal again “in the coming days.”
He said military engineers “provided all necessary support to ensure the security of the piers and beaches,” adding that “the U.S. policy of not sending ground troops remains in place.” White House policy does not allow U.S. troops to be stationed in the Gaza Strip.
Admiral Cooper estimated that once aid resumes, about a million pounds of cargo will enter Gaza through the docks every two days.
In early March, President Biden announced that the U.S. military would build a port for Gaza, a move that took the Pentagon by surprise.
In the days after it went into operation on May 17, trucks were robbed on their way to the warehouse, forcing the United Nations World Food Programme to Suspension of operationsAfter officials stepped up security, the weather turned nasty. U.S. officials had hoped the waves wouldn't start until late summer.
The situation in Gaza remains dire. Health officials say more than 36,000 people have been killed, many have been displaced, and the United Nations warns of impending famine.
