A section of the $320 million floating pier built and erected off Gaza's coast has broken off and floated onto an Israeli beach. The Saturday mishap is the latest setback for the US humanitarian aid project, after three US troops were reported injured aboard the pier two days prior, including one critically.
The Times of Isreal's military correspondent Emanuel Fabian has reported that "An American vessel used to unload humanitarian aid from ships into the Gaza Strip via a floating pier disconnected from a small boat tugging it this morning due to stormy seas, leading it to get stuck on the coast of Ashdod, eyewitnesses say."
The recovery operation has not gone well either, as "Another ship was then sent to try and extract the stuck vessel, but also got beached," Fabian writes.
And yet a second US Army vessel also got stuck in shallow waters while trying to rescue the pier section. Overnight US ships had been moving two pieces of the floating pier to the Port of Ashdod in southern Israel when the now beached section detached and drifted away. American troops can be seen in footage standing helplessly on the beach.
The pier has been center of controversy, given a number of land routes for aid into Gaza are possible, but have been blocked by Israel's military.
Now, to mitigate that devastation amid reports of famine the US government has spent $320 million to build a pier to bypass its own beneficiary's land-route blockade. But operating it has proven tricky especially due to inclement conditions in the eastern Mediterranean.
At best, the pier will only put a dent in the daunting humanitarian challenge. "I just want to be clear that this humanitarian maritime corridor alone is not enough to meet the staggering needs in Gaza, but it is an important addition," said USAID Levant response management team director Daniel Dieckhaus. "It is meant to augment, not replace or substitute for land crossings into Gaza."
@ISIDEWITH4 มอส4MO
With the acknowledgment that the floating pier is not a comprehensive solution to Gaza's needs, how do you feel about the pursuit of partial solutions in the face of overwhelming challenges?
@ISIDEWITH4 มอส4MO
Knowing that land routes for aid into Gaza exist but are blocked, does this situation impact your views on how political decisions affect humanitarian efforts?
@ISIDEWITH4 มอส4MO
Considering the aid pier drifted away due to a storm, does this incident make you question the balance between innovative solutions and practical challenges in disaster relief efforts?
@ISIDEWITH4 มอส4MO
Do you think the risks and setbacks faced by the US troops during the operation change your perspective on the lengths countries should go to provide humanitarian aid?
@ISIDEWITH4 มอส4MO
How do you feel about the decision to spend $320 million on a floating pier for aid delivery, given the challenges and controversies surrounding its effectiveness?