The US-built temporary floating dock off the coast of Gaza is becoming more temporary than ever, it seems.
#BREAKING the never ending saga of the disastrous US floating pier in Gaza.
Parts of the pier detached and floated far north coming to land on Frishman Beach in Tel Aviv!!! pic.twitter.com/IBvb5MyPMC— #EBluemountain1 ? (@EBluemountain1) June 22, 2024
A part of the pier broke off and floated its way on Saturday to Frishman Beach in Tel Aviv, arriving at around lunchtime.
The $320 million pier has faced myriad challenges since its first installation last month, having broken apart and floated to Israel a few weeks ago, arriving that time in Ashdod.
Despite rumors the project would be terminated, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) posted a statement on the X social media platform this weekend, saying the pier had been rebuilt and would continue serving as a conduit for humanitarian aid to Gaza delivered via a maritime corridor via Cyprus.
“At approximately 8:52 am (Gaza time) June 19, United States Central Command (US CENTCOM) personnel supporting the mission to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, re-anchored the temporary pier to the beach in Gaza,” CENTCOM wrote.
“The temporary pier had been relocated to avoid forecasted high seas and to ensure the structural integrity of the pier and safety of our service members. At no time during this event did US troops enter Gaza,” CENTCOM emphasized. Entry of US personnel to Gaza is strictly prohibited by Hamas terrorists who still maintain some control over the enclave.
“Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance across the temporary pier began delivery again today, June 20, and approximately 656 metric tons (1.4 million pounds) of aid were delivered to the beach in Gaza. This is the largest single day delivery of aid to date,” CENTCOM wrote.
“To date, over 4,160 metric tons (9.1 million pounds) of humanitarian aid have been delivered from the pier to the marshaling area where they can be collected by humanitarian organizations for onward delivery.”
It’s not clear how the pier could have been used to deliver aid when parts of the structure washed up Saturday in Tel Aviv …
