The US floating dock to distribute aid to Gaza will remain anchored in Ashdodin southern Israel, until further notice because it has not been able to be installed due to technical and meteorological problems, the Pentagon said Thursday.
The US Central Command attempted on Wednesday to reposition the dock to continue the humanitarian operation but was unsuccessful.
According to the Pentagon statement, it was therefore decided that the infrastructure would return to Ashdod and remain there “until further notice.” No new date has been set at this time..
The United States stressed that the floating dock has been instrumental in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. To date, it has facilitated the distribution of more than 8 thousand 100 tons metrics to the storage area from which humanitarian organizations subsequently handle delivery.
Washington stressed that the pier had always been intended as a temporary solution to facilitate the delivery of aid. This operation will be completed “soon” and details will be provided in the coming days..
The facility has been in use since mid-May, albeit with occasional interruptions, and actually consists of two structures: a floating dock to which ships loaded with humanitarian aid are moored, and a roadway where trucks carrying supplies to land transit.
US dock in Gaza distributes humanitarian aid in record numbers
The United States handed over the ship last weekend, June 24, through the floating dock installed off the coast of Gaza 1,384 metric tons of humanitarian materialthe US Army Central Command (Centcom) reported on Monday.
Only on Sunday were they unloaded 720 metric tons of aidthe highest figure to date.
Centcom announced that operations will be temporarily suspended on Monday to carry out maintenance work.
The floating dock was installed on May 17, although it has had to be removed several times since then due to weather conditions.
Since May, according to their figures, more than 6,206 metric tons humanitarian aid has been delivered from that platform to the area where humanitarian organizations can collect it for later distribution.
The facility consists of two structures: a floating dock to which ships loaded with humanitarian aid are moored and a roadway where trucks carrying supplies to land transit.
“This humanitarian operation is made possible by our continued partnership with the United Nations and many international and regional partners,” Centcom concluded.