Pentagon removes US aid pier from Gaza due to high sea conditions

The temporary aid pier built by US has again been removed from the Gaza coast due to high seas. It will now be towed to an Israeli port, the Pentagon said on Friday (June 28).

This marks the third instance the pier detached from the shore due to weather conditions since its initial installation in mid-May. Additionally, the effort is encountering challenges in distributing assistance once it reaches Gaza.

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"Due to high sea states expected this weekend, the temporary pier has been removed from its anchored position in Gaza and will tow it back to Ashdod, Israel," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told media.

However no specific date for the pier's reinstallation has been decided yet the commander will continue to assess the sea states over the weekend."

It is worth mentioning here, the pier was first anchored to the Gaza coast in mid-May, but was damaged due to bad weather later in the month and had to be taken down for repair work.

The pier was then reattached on June 7, but was moved to Ashdod on June 14 to protect it from anticipated high seas -- a situation that is now being repeated.

After the pier got operational, it has been used to deliver a large amount of aid to the shore.

Detailing about the deliveries, sing said, "Since May 17, Central Command has supported in the delivery of more than 8,831 metric tons, or approximately 19.4 million pounds, of humanitarian aid to the shore for onward distribution by humanitarian organizations."

Distribution has been problematic, with the UN World Food Program suspending its deliveries of assistance that arrive via the pier earlier this month to evaluate the security situation.

The Gazans are suffering through a war, after Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The militants also seized hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza although the army says 42 are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,765 people, mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in Gaza.