Israeli news websites wrote that the US announcement of the suspension of the floating dock’s operations was an “embarrassment” for US President Biden and the Washington administration, given its significant cost and the fact that it did not last even two weeks.
The Israeli and US press reported the reasons for the failure of the US floating dock project for humanitarian aid off the coast of the Gaza Strip and criticized the US administration.
Israeli news websites wrote that the US announcement that the floating dock had ceased operations was an “embarrassment” for US President Joe Biden and the Washington administration, given its significant cost and the fact that it did not last even two weeks.
The floating dock built by the US military on the Gaza coast for $320 million has collapsed due to weather and strong waves, according to the Israeli business website Calcalist.
The floating dock, parts of which will be transported to the Port of Ashdod in southern Israel, will take more than a week to repair, according to estimates by the US Defense Pentagon.
The Kikar HaShabbat website, which is close to Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) in Israel, reported that the temporary floating dock built by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) was once again disrupted after it was discovered that it had drifted off the shore due to stormy weather.
The news website said the following about a video footage documenting the collapse of the floating dock:
“In a video released last night, an Israeli soldier can be heard documenting the US jetty floating on the waves far from the shore, mocking the temporary jetty built by the Americans for the enemy (Palestinians).
The temporary pier continues to have breakdowns and problems all the time. Last Saturday, US ships due to dock at the pier were forced to turn their rudders from Gaza to Israel because of the raging waves. By Sunday, the pier was already in pieces.”
The Times of Israel news website also reported that the US is facing difficulties in operating the floating dock due to a series of failures, despite a major effort by the US to build the dock, which cost them $320 million with the participation of 1,000 soldiers and a complex logistical operation.
“These incidents reveal the complexity and difficulty of implementing the US plan and the maritime corridor operation from Cyprus to Gaza,” the report said, adding that since the pier became operational, the waves have dragged 4 sections of the pier to the area between Ashkelon and Ashdod, which were towed back to the pier on the Gaza coast.
Israel’s Channel 12 television described the suspension of work on the pier as a “great shame” for the Biden administration’s efforts to increase humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Sharing the information that the floating pier in Gaza was demolished and temporarily closed less than two weeks after it started operating, the channel reported that the pier, which was established for humanitarian aid, was President Biden’s flagship project regarding the control of humanitarian aid entering Gaza.
The floating dock took nearly two months to build and became operational only less than two weeks ago on Friday, May 17.
Since May 17, about 900 tons of humanitarian aid supplies, including 137 trucks, have entered the Gaza Strip through the floating port, the channel said, adding that on Saturday, May 25, several US ships were damaged by the rough sea conditions and some of them were able to land, while the pier was also damaged but continued to operate.
The Israeli television channel emphasized that the floating dock became inoperable due to the damage it sustained about two days later.
On May 28, the Pentagon announced that the operation of the floating dock had been suspended for a short time until repairs were completed.
Two US military officials told the Wall Street Journal that the floating dock may not be suitable for Gaza’s weather and sea conditions.
The newspaper reported that the US military suspended the use of the floating dock on the Gaza coast after it was damaged in a severe storm, the latest failure in US efforts to send humanitarian aid to Gaza by sea.
