US Military Scrambles to Build Floating Dock for Aid Delivery to Gaza
In a bid to provide much-needed aid to the residents of Gaza, the US military is working tirelessly to construct a floating dock off the Gaza coast. This operation comes as Israel has imposed strict restrictions on land routes into Gaza, severely limiting the flow of aid. The devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, resulting from the Israel-Hamas war, has left virtually all of Gaza’s 2.3 million people struggling to find food, with over half a million facing starvation.
The Biden administration has been frustrated by the obstacles posed by Israel, its close ally, in its efforts to increase aid to Gaza. Last week, the US began airdrops of aid, but this method can only provide a limited amount of assistance and may not reach those who need it most. In his recent State of the Union address, President Joe Biden directed the military to construct a temporary pier on Gaza’s coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine, and temporary shelters. This pier will enable a significant increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day.
The operation is being carried out by the Army’s 7th Transportation Brigade and other units, involving as many as 1,000 US troops. The logistics of building a floating pier are complex, and it will take weeks, if not months, for the operation to come together. The 7th Transportation Brigade, based at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, is assembling the necessary equipment and watercraft. They will be using an array of 40-foot-long steel pieces that can be locked together like LEGOs to form a pier and causeway. The causeway will be up to 1,800 feet long and two lanes wide.
In the coming days, US troops will begin loading the equipment onto a large Military Sealift Command vessel, along with smaller tug vessels to assist in the operation. The ship will set off across the Atlantic Ocean with members of the 7th Transportation Brigade aboard. Several other military units from the US and abroad will also be participating in the mission. The troops will build an offshore pier where large ships can offload food and supplies, which will then be transported to the temporary causeway driven into the ground at the shoreline. It is important to note that there will be no US forces on the ground in Gaza for this mission, and it will likely involve other allies, contractors, and aid agencies.
One of the key challenges of this operation is securing Israel’s cooperation. The US has been appealing to Israel for months to increase aid delivery to Gaza and provide access and protection for trucks carrying goods. According to President Biden, the Israeli government will maintain security at the pier and protect it from any attacks by Hamas. Crowd control may also be necessary to prevent residents from storming the pier in their desperation for food.
Other nations and aid groups are also stepping up their efforts to provide aid to Gaza. Cyprus has offered the use of its port in Larnaca for a possible sea route for aid deliveries. Authorities from Israel, the US, and other European countries have been invited to join Cypriot agents in vetting all shipments to ensure they cannot be used by Hamas against Israel. The European Commission has announced that a ship belonging to Spain’s Open Arms aid group is preparing to leave Cyprus for Gaza, carrying humanitarian aid from World Central Kitchen. The UAE has also funded an operation to deliver aid to Gaza and has worked directly with Israel to ensure a smooth shipment.
As the US military works tirelessly to construct a floating dock off the Gaza coast, hopes are high that this operation will significantly increase the amount of humanitarian assistance reaching Gaza every day. With the cooperation of Israel and the support of other nations and aid groups, this mission has the potential to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza and provide them with the food, water, medicine, and temporary shelters they desperately need.
