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Gaza floating pier

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Gaza floating pier
Causeway connected to Gaza shore, shortly after completion on May 16
TypeBarge landing
CarriesFood aid from Cyprus
LocaleMediterranean Sea off Gaza Strip
Characteristics
ConstructionUS Army, US Navy
History
Construction startApril 6, 2024
Completion dateMay 16, 2024
Opening dateMay 17, 2024

The Gaza floating pier is a floating dock facility created by the U.S. military, after being proposed immediately before U.S. President Biden's 2024 State of the Union Address on March 7, 2024. It was completed in May 2024.

It was constructed by U.S. military forces based on ships offshore of the Gaza Strip, then connected to the shore by causeway, to enable the delivery of maritime cargo for humanitarian assistance to Gaza.[1][2][3][4] The unloading point joins the Netzarim Corridor.[5] The World Food Programme will be responsible for receiving and distributing the aid.[6]

President Biden stated that Israel "must also do its part." He further noted, "Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority."[7] Israel will inspect the humanitarian aid in Cyprus before shipping and again at checkpoints in Gaza when it is delivered off the pier. The pier can deliver 150 trucks of aid per day.[8] After its collapse, it was dismissed by Stephen Walt as an expensive PR stunt to sidestep pressuring issues to open its border crossings.[9] The United States denied allegations that Israeli forces had used the Gaza floating pier during the Nuseirat refugee camp massacre or the rescue operation.[10][11]

As of June 2024, the pier has handled thousands of tons of food aid,[12] with Fogbow delivering over a thousand pallets of food.[13] According to the US Central Command as of June 24, 2024, more than 6206 tons of humanitarian aid had been delivered since May 17, 2024.[14] The pier has been dismantled three times because of weather and may not be restored.

Background

Blockade of the
Gaza Strip
Crossings
2004
Philadelphi Accord
2006
Economic sanctions
2007
Fatah–Hamas battle
2008
2009
Viva Palestina "Lifeline 3"
2010
2011
2015
Freedom Flotilla III
2016
Women's Boat to Gaza
2023
Israeli "total blockade"
2024
2024 Gaza freedom flotilla
See also: Humanitarian aid during the Israel–Hamas war

A blockade has been imposed on the movement of goods and people in and out of the Gaza Strip since Hamas's takeover in 2007, led by Israel and supported by Egypt. The blockade's current stated aim is to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza; previously stated motivations have included exerting economic pressure on Hamas.[15]

Attempts to bring in humanitarian aid by water into Gaza has been attempted multiple times, and has end with intervention by the Israeli military. In May 2010 the IDF participated in a military operation dubbed the Gaza flotilla raid against six civilian ships in international waters, resulting in contested events, nine passengers of the flotilla killed and thirty passengers and 10 IDF troops wounded.[16] In July 2011, a second flotilla was planned by 22 NGOs to attempt to break the maritime blockade but did not take place.[17] In the summer of 2015, a third flotilla was planned to break the blockade and set out from Sweden with multiple stops before being intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters and participants detained.[18][19]

The Gaza Strip is experiencing a humanitarian crisis as a result of the Israel–Hamas war which began after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.[20][21] The crisis includes both a famine and a healthcare collapse.[citation needed] At the start of the war, Israel tightened its blockade of the Gaza Strip on October 9, 2023, with Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a "total blockade",[22] blocking the entry of food, water, medicine, fuel and electricity.[23] This has resulted in significant shortages of fuel, food, medication, water, and essential medical supplies.[20][24] After receiving pressure from U.S. President Joe Biden, Gallant changed his position of a complete blockade and a deal was made on 19 October for Israel and Egypt to allow aid into Gaza.[25]

In January 2024, Israeli authorities blocked 56% of humanitarian aid to northern Gaza.[26] On February 9, 2024, UNRWA's director Philippe Lazzarini reported that Israel had blocked food for 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza.[27]

Outline plan

A JLOTS offshore modular unloading platform in 2012
Army and Navy personnel constructing a JLOTS floating pier in 2008

During October and November 2023, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides developed the maritime aid corridor idea, named the Amalthea Initiative,[28][29] with European Union leaders at a humanitarian conference in Paris and elsewhere.[30][31] On November 5, 2023, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Cyprus to discuss the maritime aid corridor.[32]

On November 20, 2023, Christodoulides said Cyprus was ready to ship large quantities of humanitarian aid to Gaza when a pause in fighting was declared. He noted that shallow-draft vessels could be used in the short term to ferry aid, and in the medium term, a floating dock off Gaza could be used. He had regularly contacted the Israeli Prime Minister about the proposal, but getting authorization required careful negotiations. An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Israel was "definitely in favor of the project."[33][34]

The Jerusalem Post reported that a senior Israeli diplomatic source said the plan was based on a proposal for a maritime route to Gaza via Cyprus for humanitarian assistance initiated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in collaboration with President Biden on October 22, 2023. The Jerusalem Post reported that on October 31, Netanyahu outlined this proposal to Cypriot President Christodoulides. On January 19, 2024, Netanyahu proposed to Biden that a team should be set up to explore the proposal, including inspecting all goods transported.[35][36] On December 20, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said, "The creation of a maritime corridor to Gaza will help Israel's economic disengagement from the Strip", following a meeting with Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos to discuss the maritime aid corridor.[37] Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had proposed a similar plan to Cyprus in 2010 when it was called the Lieberman Proposal,[38] and again in 2018 when he was Defense Minister.[39] In 2021, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid proposed the Gaza Development Plan which included a sea port on an artificial island under Israeli security control off Gaza.[40][41]

The pier was designed to allow delivery of thousands of tons of food aid at a time, equivalent to "hundreds of truckloads",[42] via barges embarked in Cyprus and screened for contraband there.[43]

General Frank S. Besson supported construction of the Gaza pier

Over 1,000 U.S. military personnel were involved in the construction of the pier and 1,800 foot (550 m) long Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore (JLOTS) type modular causeway over 60 days.[44][45] The part of the JLOTS system[46] included in this project is a large floating modular unloading platform secured by sea anchors stationed about three miles offshore, allowing supplies to be then transferred by lighters to a modular causeway off the shore.[47][48] The project, known internally as the Blue Beach Plan, was partially developed by an advisory group called Fogbow, co-founded by Michael Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense, and Sam Mundy, a retired Marine Lt. Gen. The plan includes potentially dredging a corridor on a private beachfront to aid unloading. The goal is to allow barges to approach the shore for aid distribution onto trucks. The military pier, once operational, could provide another way for aid delivery. The Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore (JLOTS) was not required under the original Blue Beach Plan.[49][50][51]

Fogbow plan

The Fogbow plan is a strategy created by the American advisory group Fogbow, founded by Michael Mulroy and Sam Mundy and managed by former US Military, Intelligence and United Nations personnel, to establish a maritime corridor. According to the initial Fogbow plan, a significant portion of aid will be transported using Masri trucks to the Gaza Industrial Zone, a specified area within the Gaza sector. Additionally, Fogbow aims to set up a new beach landing site to deliver humanitarian aid. This initiative seeks to improve aid distribution by increasing the number of drop zones along the coast, making it easier to transport aid to remote areas that are difficult to reach by typical overland routes. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have agreed to provide security assistance to Fogbow. To support the implementation of this plan, funding will be directed through a recently established foundation called the "Maritime Humanitarian Aid Foundation."[52][53][54]

As of June 2024, Fogbow has delivered over a thousand pallets of food.[13]

Construction and route history

MV Roy P. Benavidez
Construction began in the Mediterranean Sea 8 km from Gaza Strip, inside the exclusion zone shown here
Construction of the floating pier, April 26, 2024

On March 9, 2024, U.S. Army support ship General Frank S. Besson was sent from Norfolk to begin construction of the pier.[55] Four more ships with 500 Army troops left on March 12. The ships included landing craft USAV Wilson Wharf, USAV Matamoros and USAV Monterrey; and Besson-class support ship USAV SP4 James A. Loux.[56][57][58] In addition to Army, Naval Beach Group 1 from San Diego, and MV Roy P. Benavidez (T-AKR-306) from an East Coast maritime reserve force were assigned to assist in construction.[59] Roy P. Benavidez departed from Virginia on March 21.[60]

The Senate Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee chairpersons Mark Warner and Ben Cardin (both Democrats) requested briefings from the Biden administration on the force protection plan for the U.S. units participating in construction.[61] On March 28, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs told press that Israel would be providing security during installation of the pier.[62]

By April 5, Besson and Benavidez had reached the Mediterranean.[63] By April 17, Besson, Benavidez and three other Army vessels had reached Crete.[64]

The Royal Navy is participating in the effort. RFA Cardigan Bay is used by American soldiers and sailors as a dormitory.[8]

On April 26, construction of the pier by US forces began,[65] and satellite photos published a few days later showed Benavidez building the dock 8 kilometers (4.3 nautical miles) from the Gaza shore.[66]

On May 1, a Pentagon spokesperson said that the floating pier was complete, and the causeway was under construction, with the total project more than half completed.[67] On May 7, it was reported that the causeway had been assembled offshore and was ready to be moved and connected to the shore.[68][69] On May 16, the U.S. military announced that the causeway had been anchored and connected to the Gaza shoreline.[70][71] Trucks began delivering aid off of the pier on May 17.[72] On May 21, a Pentagon spokesperson said that 569 tonnes of aid had crossed to the temporary pier but had so far not been distributed, and that moving forward on "safety and security" for humanitarian aid organization workers was critical.[73]

A Centurion C-RAM (Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar) and the M-LIDS anti-drone systems have been installed by the shore attached section of the pier for force protection.[74][75]

The U.S. military cost estimate to build the pier and operate it for 90 days is $320 million, roughly double the initial estimate.[76]

Damage and repair

On May 25, 2024, the U.S. military announced that four boats that served as part of the pier's support system broke off from the structure, following choppy waters. The four boats became beached, with the military stating that the structure would remain operational. It also added that efforts were underway to retrieve the four vessels.[77]

On May 28, 2024, the U.S. military suspended aid delivery to Gaza after the floating pier was damaged by bad weather.[78] The Pentagon confirmed that a portion of the causeway was damaged and broken off, and must be repaired before being returned to use. Spokeswoman Sabrina Singh stated that the pier will be removed from the sea with help from the Israeli Navy, and undergo over a week of repairs in Ashdod, before returning.[79][80] Fogbow is directly involved with the JLOTS in moving the pier to and from the safe harbor in Ashdod.[13]

At the beginning of June, the Pentagon estimated that up to the suspension over 1,000 tonnes of aid had been delivered to shore, 900 tonnes of which had reached UN warehouses.[81]

The repaired pier was reinstalled by June 7.[82][83] It was operative for ten days, and may possibly be dismantled in July.[84] On 28 June, the US said that they were for the third time moving the pier due to weather conditions and also said that it may not be restored.[85][86]

Temporary interim jetty

See also: World Central Kitchen § Operation Safeena

On March 12, prior to construction of the U.S. pier, a barge "testing" the delivery route, operated by Spanish charity Proactiva Open Arms and loaded with 200 tons of food from World Central Kitchen, left the port of Larnaca in Cyprus for Gaza.[87][88] A jetty for unloading the barge was built at a location that was initially "not disclosed for security reasons",[89] but later discerned to be south of Gaza City (31°29′49″N 34°24′29″E / 31.497°N 34.408°E / 31.497; 34.408 (Gaza WCK jetty)) by journalists using commercial satellite imagery or talking to local construction workers.[90][91] The Cyprus foreign minister, Constantinos Kombos, said on March 13 that the US pier and the food route out of Larnaca would become a single operation.[92] The first barge arrived and began to be unloaded at the World Central Kitchen jetty on March 15.[93][94]

Alleged role in Nuseirat attack

Main articles: Nuseirat refugee camp massacre and 2024 Nuseirat rescue operation

On June 8, 2024, Israel initiated a military action that that rescued 4 hostages and killed 274 Palestinians (mostly civilians), according to Gaza Health Authorities. While the United States acknowledged assisting Israel in the operation, it denied that the floating pier was used.[10] A video emerged on social media showing an Israeli Black Hawk helicopter close to the pier picking up IDF soldiers and hostages.[95] The video also shows military equipment, including a US counter-drone system, on the pier.[10]

The Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza released a statement in which it "confirms the participation of American enemy forces stationed on the floating dock" to conduct attack on Nuseira refugee camp.[11] Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said IDF didn't just evacuate using the pier, but it was likely that the IDF entered into Gaza using the pier as well.[96] United States officials told CBS News reporters that the video appearing to show the helicopter taking off from the beach near the pier, showed the helicopter landing south of the facility and not within the cordoned off area of the pier.[95]

Shortly after the rescue operation, it was announced that the United Nations World Food Program would pause all of its work with the pier, until a security review and review of how the pier may have been utilized by the IDF was completed. Due to this humanitarian aid has been pilling up on the beach, as the UN works to transfer the aid to warehouses and local aid teams within Gaza.[97]

As of June 18, 2024, US officials have indicated that the pier may be dismantled by early July.[98][99]

Reactions

On May 17, 2024, the spokesperson for UNOCHA stated that getting aid into Gaza "cannot and should not depend on a floating dock far from where needs are most acute".[100] On May 21, the UN stated aid had not entered Gaza from the pier in two days, and that it was at risk of failure unless Israel provided safe operating conditions for humanitarian organizations.[101] The White House National Security communications adviser stated, "This temporary pier is not enough... Clearly not enough is being done to open up the crossings. That’s just unacceptable".[102] In June 2024, the media office for Hamas government in the Gaza Strip criticized the pier, stating only 120 trucks had come through it and that it was "useless".[103]

Stephen Walt criticized the whole operation for its cost - after the damage expected to run into hundreds of millions - arguing that the project arose from the Biden administration's reluctance to pressure Israel into opening its borders to allow relief aid in sufficient quantities to overcome the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and sustain the population.[9] Military experts noted that JLOTS (Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore) type piers were not designed to operate in rough seas, and were last used in Haiti in 2010. Since then relatively little investment has been directed to the technology; the watercraft are old and funds for repairs have been scarce, with available craft rusting. Firms that had earlier supplied parts had now gone out of business. The result is, one military source said, that the Army has long underestimated the difficulty of constructing and maintaining a floating pier. The administration itself admits that the best way to supply Gaza is through land routes.[104]

See also

References

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  89. ^ de Vega, Luis; Hierro, Lola (March 13, 2024). "Operation Safeena: The thousand and one obstacles to bringing aid to Gaza by sea". El Pais. Another problem was how to unload the aid in Gaza when there are no working ports left. For this reason, WCK has been building a jetty for weeks with rubble and the remains of bombed buildings and with some cranes and construction machines that still work. Its location has not been disclosed for security reasons.
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  104. ^ Haley Britzky, Priscilla Alvarez, Kylie Atwood and Kayla Tausche, High seas and low maintenance: Inside the turbulent US effort to build a pier into Gaza, CNN, June 1, 2024

Further reading

External links

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