Four United States Navy vessels attached to the American-built floating pier off the coast of Gaza have broken off their anchorages and gotten grounded on beaches due to a storm.
The pier, constructed on orders from President Joe Biden to bring aid to Gaza amidst the ongoing Israeli military operation, has been in operation for the past week. (Related: Construction of U.S. military floating pier off Gaza nearly complete.)
The Department of Defense reported that the project is anticipated to cost America about $320 million.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that four vessels were detached from a jetty on Saturday, May 25, while also stating that there were no deaths or injuries and that the pier's operations were unaffected.
The first ship became stuck on a beach in the nearby Israeli port city of Ashdod, and another vessel sent to pull it was also grounded.
"Two vessels are now anchored on the beach near the pier," CENTCOM said, adding that the third and fourth ships were stranded on the coast close to the Israeli city of Ashkelon.
As stated by CENTCOM, attempts to recover the vessels are being assisted by the Israeli military.
"Efforts to recover the vessels are underway with assistance from the Israeli Navy," CENTCOM said while also emphasizing that "No U.S. personnel will enter Gaza" during the operation.
Just recently three U.S. soldiers were injured while working on the pier, and one needed hospitalization in Israel.
UN stopped deliveries after Palestinians rushed at moving trucks and looted cargo
The United Nations, which delivers aid from trucks carried by American ships to the pier, said deliveries had to be stopped on Sunday, May 26, and Monday, May 27, after Palestinians surged at the moving trucks and looted their whole cargo.
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Daniel Dieckhaus, USAID's Gaza Response Manager, said in a briefing on Friday, May 24, that the capture "represents a minority of the overall shipments."
"This humanitarian maritime corridor alone is not enough to meet the staggering needs in Gaza, but it is an important addition. It is meant to augment, not replace or substitute for land crossings into Gaza," Dieckhaus told media.
The pier, which can move only a small fraction of the humanitarian aid that could be brought through Israel-controlled land routes into Gaza has been slammed by American legislators stating the high cost and danger to personnel.
Early this month the UN warned that the humanitarian aid ground route had been completely obstructed because of Israel's assault in the southern Gazan city of Rafah.
Egypt has kept a blockade on the Rafah crossing since Israeli forces seized the Gaza side of the border.
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi agreed on Friday to direct humanitarian aid trucks to the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, at the border crossroad between Egypt, Israel and Gaza.
Meanwhile, aid started flowing into the Gaza Strip from southern Israel on Sunday, after a U.S.-made "floating pier" on the Mediterranean Sea was damaged by weather. The recent aid deployment is running through southern Israel due to disagreements with Egypt.
The Israel Defense Forces has taken over the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, which has usually been used for shipping aid throughout the conflict. Egypt closed its side of the border when Israel took control of the Gazan side of the crossing and declared it would not reopen it until Palestinians were given control.
Follow WWIII.news for more stories about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Watch the video below about the U.S. military building a pier in Gaza to assist in the flow of aid.
This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.
More related articles:
U.S. begins construction of humanitarian aid port off Gaza as Israeli invasion of Rafah looms.
United Nations accuses Israel of BLOCKING humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza Strip.
Israel has attacked hundreds of humanitarian sites and aid convoys in Gaza since the war erupted.
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