During the State of the Union address back in March, President Joe Biden announced the pier construction to "enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day." But the floating pier, first anchored on May 17, has faced significant obstacles from the start.
Starving and desperate Palestinians reportedly hijacked the first convoys of aid in May, while adverse weather conditions have frequently disrupted operations, sometimes detaching the pier from the shore and beaching vessels associated with the effort. At least three of the 1,000 troops involved in the operation had been injured due to these challenges. (Related: U.S. Navy vessels attached to floating pier off Gaza coast dislodged by storm, grounded on nearby beaches.)
The floating pier, initially scheduled to remain operational until at least July 31, had been relocated to Ashdod Port in Israel thrice due to adverse weather conditions, most recently on June 28. And now, it is scheduled to be reattached to Gaza on July 17 and shut down a few days later. As a result, it has only been operational for 23 out of the 53 days since May.
These challenges have led to the decision to shut it down before the end of July.
Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.
"I do anticipate that in relatively short order, we will wind down pier operations," national security adviser Jake Sullivan announced during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Public Forum in Washington on July 11.
Sullivan suggested that the floating pier is no longer essential for Gaza's supply of food, water and other humanitarian aid due to the re-opening of key border crossings amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
"The real issue right now is not about getting aid into Gaza. It's about getting aid around Gaza," Sullivan added.
U.S. wasted millions of taxpayer money on the floating pier
This announcement came amid an escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
According to Politico, border checkpoints have closed following Israel's war against Hamas. Israeli officials have intensified inspections of trucks at open border crossings to minimize the entry of weapons into the territory. These additional Israeli checkpoints have slowed the entry of trucks, carrying basic necessities, including food and medicine, into the territory from Israel, Jordan and Egypt.
"There is an unprecedented horrific humanitarian disaster in Gaza right now, and we’ve got to do everything we can to make sure that tens of thousands of children do not starve to death," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said in an interview.
Israeli military activities in urban areas of Gaza have hindered aid groups' efforts to distribute critical supplies. The U.S. initially attempted to overcome these obstacles through airdrops and the pier installation, but security concerns have left much of the aid undelivered onshore.
Follow WWIII.news for more stories about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Watch this clip from Newsmax featuring Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) discussing how $320 million in taxpayer money was wasted on the pier in Gaza.
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Desperate, starving Palestinians resorting to intercepting aid delivered to Gaza via American "floating pier."
Biden: U.S. to. build FLOATING PIER along Gaza coast to improve aid delivery.
U.S. completes installation of makeshift pier in Gaza; first load of humanitarian assistance moves ashore.
U.S.-built Gaza pier transported to Israel for repairs after being heavily damaged by high waves, strong winds.
Construction of U.S. military floating pier off Gaza nearly complete.
Sources include:
MiddleEastEye.net
USAToday.com
Politico.com
Brighteon.com
Source link