Saturday, December 7, 2024

The United States is disconnecting the troubled humanitarian dock in Gaza for the third time in anticipation of the rising tide, officials said.

Date:

Maxar Technologies/Reuters

A satellite image shows the humanitarian aid dock operated by the US military in Gaza before its removal, June 12, 2024.



CNN

The United States is once again dismantling The troubled human sidewalk Two American officials said that Israel will stop working in Gaza due to the expected heavy waves and bad weather, which is the third time it will stop its operations since it began work six weeks ago.

The pier was built to provide necessary assistance to civilians suffering from The war between Israel and Hamas The process of towing the ship continues, especially with land crossings frequently closed. It will be towed to the port of Ashdod in southern Israel on Friday until conditions calm. Officials said it was unclear how long the pier would remain isolated.

The latest setback comes two days after Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to senior Biden administration officials saying the temporary dock “was riddled with setbacks, was more marginal than operational, and can only be described as a massive waste of taxpayer dollars.”

Earlier this month, Republican Senator Roger Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was more blunt. “This must end now,” he said in a statement.

This is the second time the pier has been deliberately disconnected as a precaution to avoid damage in bad weather.

One week after the pier became operational in May, it was damaged by heavy waves, forcing the army to tow it to Ashdod for repairs.

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Since the $230 million dock was first installed in May, it has delivered 8,831 metric tons, or more than 19.4 million pounds, of humanitarian aid, according to another official.

But aid has begun to pile up on the beach after the World Food Programme halted its distribution while it reviewed the security situation on the ground in Gaza. CNN earlier reported that more than 6,000 pallets of aid were waiting to be distributed on the beach.

CNN Previously mentioned That conversation about creating a sea corridor to bring aid into Gaza began toward the end of October, following the Hamas attack and resulting offensive by Israeli forces in Gaza. The White House began exploring options including the feasibility of a temporary pier, which was considered too risky at the time due to weather conditions at that time of year and ongoing IDF operations.

The idea was revisited in January and February when the need for humanitarian aid in Gaza became more urgent.

President Joe Biden formally announced the construction of the pier in March, and said in his State of the Union address that he was directing the military to build a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza. Within days, US military ships left the United States.

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