US completes building humanitarian pier off Gaza coast
The U.S. military has finished building a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
“As of today, the U.S. military has completed the off-shore construction of the Trident pier section, or the causeway, which is the component that will eventually be anchored to the Gaza shore,” deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.
The project, known as the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) capability, consists of two pieces, a floating pier where ships can unload aid — completed last week — and a causeway section meant to be attached to the Gaza coast, on which trucks can drive aid dropped off by the ships to the mainland.
The two portions of JLOTS “are complete and awaiting final movement offshore,” Singh said. She added that bad weather has prevented the U.S. military from doing so.
“Today there are still forecasted high winds and high sea swells, which are causing unsafe conditions for the JLOTS components to be moved, so the pier sections and military vessels involved in its construction are still positioned at the Port of Ashdod” in Israel, she said.
The completion of JLOTS in the Mediterranean Sea comes as humanitarian conditions in Gaza grow worse by the day, with the United Nations and humanitarian organizations in the territory warning that the region has fallen into famine due to a severe lack of access to food and medical supplies.
The situation is expected to become more dire with Israel’s Tuesday military takeover of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, the sole entry point for humanitarian aid between Gaza and Egypt.
Despite the pier not being in position, Singh said that the U.S. is loading aid onto the ship MV Sagamore, currently in Cyprus but meant to be the first vessel to transport the assistance from there to the pier.
“The Sagamore is a cargo vessel that will use the JLOTS system, and will make trips between Cyprus and the offshore floating pier as USAID and other partners collect aid from around the world,” Singh noted.
She added that defense officials hope to have JLOTS in position “later this week.”
Date: |
Filter
-
Gaza humanitarian aid pier completed, Hezbollah targets base in Israeli territory
A floating pier for the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid has been completed off the shore of Gaza, the U.S. military says. CBS News national security contributor Sam Vinograd has more on that and the threats Israel has been facing ...CBS News - Top stories - Israel -
U.S. military completes work on pier to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza
The U.S. military has finished work on a pier to create a new gateway for ships to deliver humanitarian to Gaza. It's expected to be operational soon.CBS News - World -
US completes installation of floating pier to deliver aid to Gaza
Aid agencies poised to receive supplies and distribute to territory where people face imminent starvation. The US military has said the installation of a floating pier for the delivery of humanitarian aid off Gaza has been completed, with ...The Guardian - World -
U.S. military completes construction of floating pier for aid into Gaza
The U.S. military has completed construction on a makeshift pier that will be used to get desperately needed humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, several U.S. medics who traveled to Gaza to provide emergency medical care are now ...CBS News - World
More from The Hill
-
Biden delivers Morehouse College commencement address: Watch live
President Biden is delivering the commencement address at Morehouse College on Sunday, setting foot on a college campus for the first time since universities around the country became hotbeds for protests over the Israel-Hamas war. The White House ...The Hill - Politics - Joe Biden -
Sullivan, Saudi crown prince discuss security agreement
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with the Saudi crown prince over the weekend to discuss a security agreement between the two countries. The state-run Saudi Press Agency said Sullivan and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed ...The Hill - Politics - United Kingdom -
Raskin on upside-down flag at Alito home: 'It's a very clear conflict of interest'
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said the upside-down flag that flew briefly at Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s home demonstrates a “very clear conflict of interest.” Raskin told MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart during an interview Saturday that Alito’s ...The Hill - Politics -
The hypocrisy behind the GOP’s war on antisemitism
Republicans’ partisan weaponization of antisemitism has not diminished their toleration of anti-Jewish dog whistlers in their own ranks.The Hill - Politics -
Crockett to Greene: 'Don’t come for me'
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) warned Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to not come after her after the two lawmakers clashed during a House committee hearing Thursday night. “Don’t come for me,” Crockett told MSNBC’s Katie Phang when asked if ...The Hill - Politics