U.S. Military Concludes Gaza Pier Mission Amidst Criticism and Weather Challenges

The U.S. military has concluded its mission to install and operate a temporary floating pier off the coast of Gaza, an initiative aimed at delivering humanitarian aid but hampered by bad weather and logistical issues. Aid distribution will now shift to Ashdod port in Israel.

The U.S. military announced on Wednesday the completion of its mission to install and operate a temporary floating pier off the Gaza coast. This initiative aimed to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians, as announced by President Joe Biden in March, requiring the efforts of around 1,000 U.S. forces.

Despite its ambitious intent, the mission faced significant challenges. Bad weather and distribution issues limited the pier's effectiveness, making it operational for only about 20 days. 'The maritime surge mission involving the pier is complete. So there's no more need to use the pier,' said Navy Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, in a news briefing.

Moving forward, aid distribution efforts will now focus on the existing port of Ashdod in Israel, where at least 5 million pounds of aid currently await. Cooper assured that the temporary pier achieved its goal of delivering nearly 20 million pounds of aid to Gaza. However, the project faced sharp criticism in Congress, labeled a political maneuver by Republicans.

(With inputs from agencies.)