U.S. Army soldiers and sailors attached to the MV Roy P. Benavidez assemble the roll-on, roll-off pier off the coast of Gaza, April 26, 2024. U.S. Army photo
Despite relocating due to weather conditions, the U.S. Department of Defense is moving forward with plans to build a temporary pier for humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
Last Friday, the U.S. Central Command revealed that the construction site for the pier, part of a U.S. military Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) mission, had been shifted to the Israeli Port of Ashdod, situated 18 miles northeast of the Gazan border.
Ryder today confirmed that construction continues, although weather and security factors could affect progress. The units assigned to the mission have continued constructing the pier near the Port of Ashdod.
Construction of the began last month and is assigned to soldiers from the Army’s 7th Transportation Brigade and sailors from Naval Beach Group 1.
The operation involves assembling an approximately 1,800-foot causeway, known as a Trident pier, from modular sections. The teams are also developing a roll-on, roll-off dock for offloading aid shipments at sea. About 1,000 soldiers and sailors are participating in the operation.
Last week, Pentagon officials reported that the construction was just over half complete. The floating pier has been fully constructed and set up, and work on the causeway is ongoing.
The project was moved to the Port of Ashdod last Thursday due to anticipated high winds and high sea swells.
“Senior leaders managing this project can always make the call whether or not to speed things up or slow things down based on conditions,” said Ryder. “And so, we’re always going to pay attention to the safety of the soldiers that are constructing this — whether it be weather or [the] security situation. But as I said, all indications are that we’re moving forward.”
President Joe Biden announced plans for the pier during his State of the Union address on March 7. The pier was initially anticipated to take 60 days to complete. The facility will initially allow the delivery of 90 truckloads of international aid into Gaza daily, with potential to increase to 150 truckloads a day at full capacity.
Today’s update on the pier comes as Israel on Monday launched a military operation in Rafah, located in southern Gaza on the border with Egypt. The offensive operation is not supported by the U.S.
The Houthi terrorist group is Yemen has also threatened to escalate its attacks on shipping in the event of a Israeli military operation in Rafah.
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