5 months ago
19
The
US military
is currently mulling
disassembling
the humanitarian pier built off the coast of Gaza for the second time due to
rough sea conditions
. The structure, known as Joint Logistics over the Shore (JLOTS), might be moved back to Israel on Friday to avoid potential damage from heavy seas, according to CNN.
This would be the second instance in recent weeks where the fragile pier and causeway system had to be relocated to the Israeli port of Ashdod.
The US-constructed pier, which aims to deliver food to Gaza, is facing another significant challenge. Its humanitarian partner is assessing whether it can continue safely and ethically delivering supplies to Palestinians in need via the US sea route.
The United Nations, responsible for the broadest reach in delivering aid within Gaza, has halted its operations with the pier. This followed a June 8 operation where Israeli security forces rescued four hostages and over 270 Palestinians lost their lives.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, shared details of the operation. He said, “Rushing out a mortally wounded Israeli commando after the raid, Israeli rescuers opted against returning the way they came, across a land border.”
“Instead, they sped toward the beach and the site of the US aid hub on Gaza’s coast,” Hagari continued. An Israeli helicopter then landed near the US-built pier to assist in evacuating the hostages and the injured commando, as per the US and Israeli military reports.
Both Israel and the US have denied any involvement of the US pier in the raid. They clarified that only the area nearby was utilized for the operation.
The pier was earlier damaged on May 25 when it encountered high winds and heavy seas. Four US Army vessels ran aground, resulting in injuries to three service members, one of whom was critically hurt. Subsequent repairs involved towing away part of the floating dock, causing a two-week pause in operations.
