The temporary pier built off the coast of Gaza by the US military to transport aid into the war-torn region has broken apart, satellite images have revealed.
Heavy seas damaged the pier on Tuesday and sections need “rebuilding and repairing,” a Pentagon spokesperson said. The pier will be moved to Ashdod, a port in Israel, where repairs will take at least a week.
The damage was first reported by NBC News. The pier consists of a narrow causeway to carry aid to Gaza and a broader area to place supplies transported by ship. Officials said it disconnected on Sunday.
The broader parking area must be connected to the causeway before the pier can be used.
The pier cost $320m and its usage started on 17 May but heavy seas forced a stoppage just a week later. The pier broke apart two days later.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday that a “great deal of humanitarian assistance” has been “flowing” into Gaza.
“There has been … a great deal that has been delivered into the north of Gaza over the past few weeks, something that happened because of the United States’ intervention,” he said. However, he said getting aid into southern Gaza has been “a real challenge”.
“There are a number of things that have made that a challenge, one being the closing of Rafah gate, two being the military … operations that are taking place there that make it tough,” he said.
The temporary pier is located just north of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza.
The pier was damaged three days after heavy seas led to two US Army vessels having to beach in Israel, US Central Command said. Another two vessels anchored close to the pier broke free of their moorings and beached in Gaza.
The temporary pier is known as the Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS), and can only operate in good conditions – meaning that it can safely be used in at most waves up to three feet and in winds under 15 miles per hour, CNN noted.
Heavy seas meant the pier was delayed for weeks while it awaited better conditions sitting in Ashdod. The US has said that the pier was only intended as an add-on to aid going through traditional land crossings.
The pier was first announced by President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address in March.
A US defense official said a US service member is in critical condition after suffering a noncombat injury on the pier last week, according to NBC.
The damage to the pier comes as a deadly strike in Rafah on Sunday sparked global outcry. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that a “tragic mishap” led to the Israeli strike that set fire to a camp for displaced Palestinians. Local officials said at least 45 people were killed. The Israeli military has said that it’s investigating the strike.
Israel has come under increasing scrutiny over its war with Hamas, with close allies criticizing the growing number of civilian fatalities.