US officials said the pier was damaged by rough seas and repairs are expected to take more than a week.
The image on the left shows the normal condition of the pier on May 18. The image on the right shows the pier on May 28 with a large part missing – Photo: 2024 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES
CNN quoted the Pentagon as saying that a temporary pier built by the US military to transport aid to the Gaza Strip on May 28 was broken and damaged due to strong seas.
Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said the pier “was damaged and some parts need to be rebuilt and repaired.”
Accordingly, the pier will be removed from its location on the Gaza Strip coast within the next 48 hours, and brought to the Israeli port of Ashdod for repairs by the US Central Command, Ms. Singh added.
New $320 million US pier in Gaza smashed by waves
The repairs will take more than a week, further delaying efforts to fully operate the Gaza Strip maritime corridor.
Four US officials told CNN that the pier collapsed due to rough seas .
The temporary pier cost $320 million to build, and was only put into operation on May 17. A week later (May 24), shipments were halted due to rough seas, and just two days later (May 26) part of the pier broke off its connection to other sections.
It is unclear when shipments will resume through the pier. The Pentagon said on May 23 that more than 1,000 tons of aid had been delivered to the Gaza Strip before the pier was temporarily shut down.
Daniel Dieckhaus, director of the Levant Response Management Team of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), said on May 23 that there are “thousands of tons” of aid waiting in Cyprus to be shipped to the Gaza Strip by sea. However, these shipments are being suspended because the US port is not operational.
