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The Pentagon has confirmed that the Gaza pier built by the United States and damaged by high seas is expected to be back in place this week.

The pier, essential for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, was damaged and towed to Ashdod, Israel, to prevent further harm. The pier has faced significant obstacles since its establishment in late May. It was operational for about a week before rough seas caused the causeway to break off, necessitating repairs.

According to Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, “We expect it will go operational again this week. We’re looking forward to getting it operational again soon and to delivering aid. We’re going to capitalize on the conditions, in terms of weather, to get as much aid across that pier as we can.” Ryder added, “Since the pier was put in place about a month ago, we’ve been able to shuttle over 3,500 metric tons, or 7.7 million pounds, of aid onto the shore in Gaza, via this temporary pier.”

Ryder also addressed some reports claiming that US officials were considering dismantling the pier for good. He said, “I’m not tracking any established timeline at this point, in terms of when the pier will stop operating, again with the caveat that this was always intended to be a temporary pier. I’m not aware at this point of any established date of this is when we’re going to stop.”

This comes as the US, in collaboration with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, has been conducting humanitarian airdrops into Gaza since March. These efforts have resulted in approximately 40 missions, delivering substantial amounts of food, water, and prepared meals, including an 11-ton airdrop on June 9.