US halts Gaza floating pier construction due to adverse sea conditions
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced a temporary pause in the offshore assembly of a floating pier near Gaza due to unsafe sea conditions. The decision was made in response to forecasted high winds and sea swells, which posed risks to soldiers working on the partially constructed pier.
The partial pier and military vessels involved in its construction have been relocated to the Port of Ashdod, where assembly will resume. Once completed, the pier will be placed in its intended location.
The temporary pier, part of the US military's Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) capability, reportedly aims to facilitate the delivery of additional humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
It was also said that this capability enables the efficient transfer of large quantities of aid from ship to shore by truck, with vehicles driving directly off ships and across the temporary pier to a marshaling yard ashore.
A US CENTCOM spokesperson emphasized the importance of the JLOTS capability in supporting the multinational effort to increase humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza by all available routes, including the maritime corridor between Cyprus and Gaza.
The spokesperson added, "Humanitarian aid will be offloaded at the shore facility before being transferred to humanitarian partners for onward distribution inside Gaza."
Update on the Construction of the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore capability in Mediterranean Sea
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 3, 2024
Yesterday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) temporarily paused offshore assembly of the floating pier in the vicinity of Gaza due to sea state considerations. Forecasted high winds and… pic.twitter.com/cIY2TUn7NX
