The US military spent $230 million building a temporary dock in an attempt to speed up assistance supplies to Gaza, but relief agencies say the project has failed.
Since the pier was linked to the beach a month ago, it has only been used for around ten days. The choppy waves caused it to shatter apart. In addition, it was turned off momentarily due to security concerns or unplugged to avert more damage.
The pier was originally intended to be a temporary solution while the Biden administration worked to persuade Israel to permit the opening of land channels for the transportation of food and other goods into Gaza in order to provide a more efficient way of bringing relief supplies into the region. But as many U.S. military officials have said, it is not expected that the pier would accomplish its objectives—Biden’s Folly, as it is called in the political sphere.
The pier’s transportation from the United States and construction off the shore of Gaza were once estimated to cost $320 million. Subsequently, officials announced that the project would cost $230 million. Meanwhile, since it arrived at its location on the Gaza coast on May 16, the US military’s Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) has run into a number of difficulties.
The pier was not motivated by pragmatic concerns but had a strong political bent. Senior adviser Richard Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said it never made much sense to do it the way they did. Instead, the United States should concentrate on supporting Israel in its fight against Hamas and putting pressure on partners to deliver help to the Gazan people. Goldberg said it is crucial to refrain from virtue signaling, which just helps to spread false information about Israel and strengthen Hamas.
The difficult sea conditions have resulted in extended maintenance times and closures of the floating pier.
U.N. authorities state that since Israeli troops entered Gaza in retaliation for Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in a substantial death toll and the imprisonment of countless persons, the impact on civilians living in the Palestinian enclave has been severe. As stated by Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program of the United Nations, relief agencies are finding it extremely difficult to get food out due to the continuous hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
The failed pier hasn’t helped much.
