Aid deliveries into Gaza by sea suspended after damage to US-built pier: Pentagon

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - Humanitarian aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip by sea have been suspended after the floating pier the US built suffered damage because of bad weather, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

"Due to high sea states and the North African weather system earlier today, a portion of the Trident pier separated from the pier that is currently anchored into the coast of Gaza," spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.

"As a result, the Trident pier was damaged and sections of the pier need rebuilding and repairing. Therefore, over the next 48 hours the Trident pier (will) be removed from its anchored position on the coast and towed back to Ashdod where US central command will conduct repairs," she said.

Work on the pier will take at least a week and following its completion, it will need to be reanchored to the coast of Gaza and humanitarian aid can resume “to the people who need it most," she added.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday that heavy sea states affected four US Army vessels supporting the maritime humanitarian aid mission in Gaza.

US President Joe Biden ordered in March the establishment of a sea route to deliver food and other aid to Palestinians amid Israeli restrictions and months of conflict in the enclave.​​​​​​​

Israel's nearly eight-month war on Gaza has led to more than 36,000 deaths in the war-torn coastal enclave and has injured over 81,100 victims.

A Hamas-led cross-border attack that precipitated the current conflict left less than 1,200 people dead, with hundreds more taken to Gaza as hostages.

Israel's military campaign has turned much of the enclave of 2.3 million people into ruins, leaving most civilians homeless and at risk of famine.

An attack Sunday that killed at least 45 victims, mostly women and children, came despite a ruling by the International Court of Justice last week that ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the worsening conflict.