The U.S. military announced on Thursday the completion of a marine pier on the coast of the Gaza Strip to facilitate the delivery of aid amid the ongoing war there. A statement from U.S. Central Command confirmed the installation of the temporary pier on Gaza's beach, noting that aid trucks are expected to start moving toward the beach in the coming days. U.S. Central Command emphasized that the United Nations will receive and coordinate the distribution of the incoming aid in Gaza, stressing, "No U.S. troops have entered Gaza in connection with the pier establishment process."
Since over two months ago, President Joe Biden ordered aid for Palestinians facing famine due to the blockage of food and other supplies following Israel's recent control of the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border. The marine pier is designed to increase the quantity of aid reaching the Gaza Strip, but it is not considered a substitute for much cheaper and more sustainable land delivery operations.
On Wednesday, the British government announced that the first batch of British aid had departed from Cyprus on its way to the temporary marine pier on the Gaza coast. The government stated that nearly 100 tons of British aid is the first part of a £2 million aid package to be delivered from Cyprus and distributed within Gaza as soon as possible. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was quoted as saying, "The UK is working around the clock with our allies and partners to ensure that more aid reaches Gaza through all possible routes - land, air, and sea." He also added, "We are leading international efforts with the United States and Cyprus to establish a maritime aid corridor, and the first shipment of British aid represents an important moment in increasing this flow."
For his part, Foreign Secretary David Cameron stated that it is essential to deliver vital aid to the people of Gaza by all possible means, adding that his country is working with the United States, Cyprus, and other allies and partners to do so. Cameron noted that the role of the floating pier in delivering aid "must be accompanied by an increase in aid delivered through land routes." He continued, "We need to see more aid crossing the borders and take further actions like fully opening the Ashdod port for aid delivery, opening more land crossings, and keeping them open for longer periods" to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
