US says it reestablished temporary pier in Gaza

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Friday that it reestablished the temporary pier off the coast of Gaza which broke apart in rough seas late last month.

"At approximately 2:15 p.m. (local Gaza time) on June 7, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) successfully reestablished the temporary pier in Gaza, enabling part of the U.S. military's Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) capability in Gaza," CENTCOM said in a statement.

The pier's reestablishment will allow for the continued delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, CENTCOM said.

In coming days, CENTCOM will facilitate the movement of vital food and other emergency supplies, in support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), it added.

On May 25, heavy sea states affected four US Army vessels supporting the maritime humanitarian aid mission in Gaza, and the vessels broke free from their moorings and two vessels were anchored on the beach near the pier. The third and fourth vessels were beached on the coast of Israel near Ashkelon.

US President Joe Biden ordered the establishment of a sea route to deliver food and other aid to Palestinians on March 8 amid Israeli restrictions and months of conflict in the enclave.​​​​​​​

The JLOTS (Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore) -- the floating pier and the Trident pier -- became operational on May 17 when trucks carrying humanitarian assistance began moving ashore via the pier.