The US will resume delivering humanitarian aid through the Gaza pier in the coming days after bad weather damaged the bridge and disrupted operations.
Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, deputy commander of US Central Command, said the bridge, the section connecting the beach in Gaza, had been rebuilt and reconnected, allowing aid deliveries to resume.
Cooper told reporters they were “moving urgently” to reopen the port.
“In the last week, usually only two crossings have been opened, so now we are allowing a third crossing, or a third entry point into Gaza,” he said. “So we want to take advantage of this opportunity and get help to people as quickly as possible.”
The bridge collapsed at the end of last month, the result of strong winds and rough seas. Four Army ships ran aground, injuring three soldiers, including one still in critical condition.
The damaged section of the pier was repaired in the Israeli city of Ashdod by American military personnel and with the help of a private company. Ships that ran aground are also being repaired.
The pier is just a corridor to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza, where Palestinians are struggling to access basic necessities such as food and water, while Israel wages a major war against the militant group Hamas. But Israel controls all the main land crossings into Gaza after taking control of the southern part of the territory last month.
In the first week of operations in May, the pier delivered more than 2 million pounds of aid to Gaza, according to Cooper, who added that he expected an increase in the amount of aid when operations resume, with 1 million pounds every two days. period.
The pier operates with aid coming from the island nation of Cyprus and flowing into a floating dock miles off the coast of Gaza. Smaller ships then transport the aid to the pier connected to the beach and transport it to distribution centers in Gaza.
There are no US troops on the ground in Gaza; instead, they are working with Israeli troops and aid groups, along with the United Nations, to distribute aid.
The damage to the pier was a major setback for the US military and President Biden, who first announced the sea route in March, and questions its effectiveness in the future.
Cooper said the U.S. military has a “number of plans” to implement in the event of another emergency.
“We have a number of contingency plans to adjust and adapt to the weather,” he said. “Until then, our goal is to maintain the main thing, which is to maximize the amount of humanitarian assistance.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
