Gaza floating pier
Gaza dock provided by US military. / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Gaza floating pier is a floating dock facility created by the U.S. military, after being proposed immediately before U.S. President Biden's 2024 State of the Union Address on March 7, 2024. It was completed in May 2024.
Type | Barge landing |
---|---|
Carries | Food aid from Cyprus |
Locale | Mediterranean Sea off Gaza Strip |
Characteristics | |
Construction | United States Army United States Navy |
History | |
Construction start | April 6, 2024 |
Completion date | May 16, 2024 |
Opening date | May 17, 2024 |
It was constructed by U.S. military forces based on ships offshore of the Gaza Strip, then connected to the shore by causeway, to enable delivery of maritime cargo for humanitarian assistance to Gaza.[1][2][3][4] The unloading point joins the Netzarim Corridor.[5] The World Food Programme will be responsible for receiving and distributing the aid.[6]
President Biden stated that Israel "must also do its part." He further stated that "Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority."[7] Israel will inspect the humanitarian aid in Cyprus prior to shipping, and again at checkpoints in Gaza when it is delivered off the pier. The pier has the capacity to deliver 150 trucks of aid per day.[8] After its collapse, it was dismissed by Stephen Walt as an expensive PR stunt to sidestep pressuring issues to open its border crossings. [9]