US aid vessels at Gaza pier disrupted by rough seas

Aid had just begun to flow into Gaza through the pier last week after several days of logistical delays.

The transfer of aid from four U.S. Army vessels through the newly completed Gaza pier was disrupted by rough seas Saturday morning, the latest hiccup in a bumpy rollout of the pier’s operation.

According to the U.S. Central Command, the vessels “broke free from their moorings” during bad weather, with two vessels beaching farther north along the Israeli coast near the city of Ashkelon and another two anchoring on the beach closer to the pier. CENTCOM added that the Israel Defense Forces were assisting in the recovery efforts and that no U.S. personnel would enter the Gaza Strip.

Aid had just begun to flow into Gaza through the pier last week after several days of logistical delays. Construction of the floating pier began late last month under the Biden administration’s directive to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as Israel has been accused of placing barriers on the delivery of aid to Palestinians in need.

The continued problems with the pier come just a day after the International Court of Justice called on Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah and reopen the border crossing with Egypt to resume the flow of aid into Gaza. Israel has said it does not recognize the ICJ’s authority, and while its rulings are legally binding, the ICJ itself has no enforcement powers.

Also yesterday, in a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi agreed to restart aid truck deliveries into Rafah and to allow the flow of humanitarian assistance through the Kerem Shalom crossing “on a provisional basis.”

According to the World Food Programme, about half of the total population of Gaza — roughly 1.1 million Palestinians — are at catastrophic levels of hunger.

As of Thursday, 1.2 million pounds of aid had been transferred through the temporary pier to Gaza’s shore. According to the Department of Defense, two-thirds of that aid had been distributed by the U.N. deeper into Gaza.

In its statement, CENTCOM assured that the pier “remains fully functional” despite Saturday’s snafu, and that no injuries were reported.