The United States Military has reportedly decided to scuttle the floating pier off the coast of Gaza by the end of the month, canceling the struggling $320 million project that has spent more time under repair than in actual operation.
First reported by the Associated Press on Tuesday, military officials plan to reinstall the pier by Wednesday, using it to deliver a final round of aid shipments to Gaza before officially pulling out and “permanently dismantling” the construction. According to anonymous sources speaking to the outlet, the goal is to offload whatever supplies have piled up in Cyprus pending inspection by the Israeli military. Once those shipments are delivered, the US will depart from the area.
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First announced during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address, the pier was intended to serve as a pipeline for international aid into Gaza as the Israel-Hamas war rages on. As Valuetainment previously reported, the multi-million-dollar project has suffered setbacks and complications since day one, with weather conditions being the primary problem. Per CNN, the pier can only safely facilitate the transporting of supplies if waves are under three feet and winds are less than 15 miles per hour. These incredibly specific conditions mean that the pier has not been used for the majority of its lifespan.
In late May, rough seas and sustained high winds caused a portion of the pier to break off and float away, beaching itself miles north near the Israeli city of Ashdod.
An American vessel used to unload humanitarian aid from ships into the Gaza Strip via a floating pier disconnected from a small boat tugging it this morning due to stormy seas, leading it to get stuck on the coast of Ashdod, eyewitnesses say.
Another ship was then sent to try… pic.twitter.com/08XtPr0K8K
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 25, 2024
After just 12 days in operation, the entire pier was shut down indefinitely for repairs. Then, a few days after the repairs concluded, it was towed all the way back to Ashdod to ride out even rougher seas.
U.S. Central Command moves pier ahead of high seas
Today, due to expected high seas, the temporary pier will be removed from its anchored position in Gaza and towed back to Ashdod, Israel. The safety of our service members is a top priority and temporarily relocating the pier… pic.twitter.com/gvL2BYYYac
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 14, 2024
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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