The $230 million temporary pier that Washington anchored to the Gazan coast to deliver aid to Palestinians, which has required removal and repair on several occasions and drawn ridicule from critics, completed its mission, according to U.S. Central Command.
The pier, whose technical name is Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, “has achieved its intended effect to surge a very high volume of aid into Gaza and ensure that aid reaches the civilians in Gaza in a quick manner,” Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of the CENTCOM, told reporters on Wednesday.
The United States has delivered almost 20 million pounds of aid via the pier “in a cost-effective manner,” according to the Pentagon. “The pier provided an essential supplemental route for aid into Gaza at a critical time when other routes were challenged,” the U.S. Defense Department added. “If not delivered via the pier, this critical aid would likely not have been able to reach the people of Gaza in acute need.”
Cooper said that future aid will come through the port in Ashdod. “In the coming weeks, we expect that millions of pounds of aid will enter into Gaza via this new pathway,” he said.