Pier Collapse Off Gaza Coast Halts US Aid Deliveries

May 30 :
The US has announced that it has discontinued humanitarian aid supplies through its pier off the coast of Gaza after the USD 320 million construction came apart in heavy weather

The recovery of one of the Army warships that was beached near Ashkelon on the Israeli shore has been completed as of today. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh informed reporters that the second beached vessel near Ashkelon will be recovered within the next day, while the remaining two beached vessels near the Trident pier are likely to be recovered within the next two days.

She went on to say that the pier was not in the best of conditions due to a confluence of factors, including high sea states and a North African weather system that arrived together. According to Singh, the pier will be removed from its anchorage and towed to Ashdod by the Navy for repairs. No American citizen or military member may legally enter Gaza.

According to Singh, the pier was used to deliver around 1,000 metric tonnes of relief during its two weeks of operation. Supplies from Cyprus, including food, water, medication, petrol and more, were transported to the mainland of Gaza by trucks that crossed a causeway after arriving by ship. The assistance was moved to several distribution points across Gaza after being unloaded at a staging area close to Gaza City.

But on the way from the staging area to various distribution stations on the Strip, other trucks were stolen. In the course of a hijacking, one Palestinian was murdered by gunshot. While security procedures for the convoys were being ironed out, deliveries were halted for two days. When completely operational, the pier has the capacity to process 150 trucks per day.

Controversy surrounds the passage of humanitarian aid in Israel. According to Gazans who spoke with TPS-IL when Hamas lowered food prices in April, the issue wasn't with food scarcity but rather with families' inability to afford it. People in Israel often chant "don't feed Hamas" when protesting the delivery of humanitarian goods, and the relatives of hostages have urged the government to use the aid to secure access, information, and liberation for their loved ones who are being held captive.

On October 7, Israeli towns along the Gaza border were attacked by Hamas, resulting in at least 1,200 casualties and the kidnapping of 252 individuals, including Israelis and foreigners. The presumed deceased number of hostages among the 125 still held is 39.