Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

The United States has confirmed it will resume the delivery of humanitarian aid through the Gaza pier in the coming days, following repairs to a causeway damaged by severe weather.

Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of US Central Command, announced that the causeway connecting the pier to Gaza’s beach has been rebuilt and reconnected, enabling the resumption of aid deliveries. He emphasized the urgency of reopening the port, highlighting the critical need to expedite aid distribution.

“In the last week, there generally have only been two crossings that are opening, so now we are enabling a third crossing, or a third entry point into Gaza,” Cooper stated. “So we want to seize this opportunity and get the aid to the people as quickly as possible.”

The causeway had broken apart due to high winds and heavy seas late last month, causing four Army vessels to run aground and injuring three service members, one of whom remains in critical condition. American service members, with the assistance of a private company, repaired the damaged section of the pier in Ashdod, Israel. The grounded ships are also undergoing repairs.

The pier is a vital route for getting humanitarian aid into Gaza, where Palestinians face severe shortages of necessities like food and water amidst ongoing conflict with Hamas. Despite Israel’s control over major land crossings into Gaza, the pier managed to deliver over 2 million pounds of aid in its first week of operations in May. Cooper anticipates an increase in aid deliveries, with plans to ship 1 million pounds every two days once operations resume.

How it works:
Aid from Cyprus reaches a floating dock off the Gaza coast, where smaller ships then ferry the supplies to the pier. These supplies are subsequently transported to distribution centers in Gaza, in coordination with Israeli troops, humanitarian aid groups, and the United Nations. There are no US boots on the ground in Gaza.