Pentagon Completes Offshore Pier for Gaza Humanitarian Aid

The Pentagon has announced the completion of the offshore Trident Pier section of a floating pier intended to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza. The pier's second section, the floating pier section, has also been completed, but adverse weather and sea conditions are preventing their delivery to the embattled region.

The Pentagon has completed the offshore construction of the Trident Pier section of a floating pier intended to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza. The pier's second section, the floating pier section, has also been completed, but weather and sea conditions are preventing their delivery to the embattled region.

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said during a press briefing on Tuesday that the U.S. Military completed the offshore construction of the Trident Pier section, or the causeway, which is the component that will eventually be anchored to the Gaza shore.

Singh said that as of Tuesday, the construction of the two portions of the JLOTS (Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore), the floating pier and the Trident pier, are complete and awaiting final movement offshore.

However, Singh noted that due to forecasted high winds and high sea swells, the JLOTS components are still sitting at the Port of Ashdod, and CENTCOM (U.S. Central Command) is standing by to relocate the pier sections to Gaza.

Once off the coast of Gaza, the U.S. military and USAID will work together to deliver humanitarian assistance using military support vessels and trucks.

Singh could not provide an exact date for when the pier would be maneuvered into place, mainly because of the weather and security conditions.

"As CENTCOM stands by to move the pier into position in the near future, and again, in partnership with USAID, we’re loading humanitarian aid onto the MV Sagamore, which is currently in Cyprus," Singh said.

The Sagamore is a cargo vessel that will use the JLOTS system and will make trips between Cyprus and the offshore floating pier, as USAID and other partners collect aid from around the world.

The unloading of the aid will be, as Singh called it, a "crawl, walk, run scenario." Once fully operational, 150 trucks will be available to move aid into Gaza. However, at first, a small number of trucks will be used to make sure the distribution system works.

The Pentagon has said that the estimated cost of the pier project would nearly double the original estimate of $180 million. It also said the project will only be in use temporarily, for a period of three months.

The pier will be able to process up to two million meals a day for the people in Gaza, U.S. Central Command said.

The Biden administration's plan to build the pier has been met with controversy, with some experts raising concerns about the cost, security, and effectiveness of the project.

Critics argue that the pier will do little to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, as it will not address the underlying issues that cause poverty and conflict in the region. They also worry that the pier could become a target for attacks, putting U.S. troops at risk.

The Biden administration has defended the pier project, saying that it is a necessary step to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and that the risks associated with the project are manageable.