Pentagon Confirms US Repairs Aid Pier To Gaza

ANTARA/HO-US Defense Department)

JAKARTA - The United States is rebuilding and repairing a temporary humanitarian aid pier off the coast of Gaza, after a surge caused damage to the ship's motor engine at the end of last week, Pentagon spokesman Sabrina Singh said.

This morning, Israeli army engineers moved the dock of Trident that docked from the beach. So, as of this afternoon, the entire dock of Trident has been moved to Ashdod port to be rebuilt and repaired," Singh said as quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Friday, May 31.

Two warships stranded on Israeli coast near Ashkelon have been restored with help from the Israeli navy, Singh said.

"As a reminder, rebuilding and repairing the dock will take more than a week, and once completed, the Trident dock will be moored back to the Gaza coast," he said.

Singh said the condition of the high seas and the North African weather system caused some of the pier debris to be released.

Because the dock has not been operational since last weekend.

He said no assistance had yet flowed from a remote storage terminal to Gaza.

There are more than 1000 metric tons that have flowed to Gaza. So, we are making developments. We look forward to continuing developments as soon as we can re-install Trident piers to Gaza," he said.

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

Offshore Joint Logistics (JLOTS) on floating piers and Trident piers began operating on May 17, as trucks carrying humanitarian aid began to move ashore via the dock.