Temporary pier for aid supplies to Gaza completed, US says

Humanitarian aid supplies from the United Nations World Food Program at the Kerem Shalom border crossing to the Gaza Strip on the Israeli side. Christoph Soeder/dpa-Pool/dpa
Humanitarian aid supplies from the United Nations World Food Program at the Kerem Shalom border crossing to the Gaza Strip on the Israeli side. Christoph Soeder/dpa-Pool/dpa

The US military has completed the construction of a temporary harbour for the delivery of relief supplies to the Gaza Strip, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said early Thursday.

The pier was anchored on the coast at approximately 7:40 am (0440 GMT), CENTCOM wrote on social media platform X, stressing that US soldiers had not entered the embattled coastal strip.

"Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days," it said. "The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza."

The temporary harbour, which took weeks to complete, is to serve as a hub for the delivery of aid supplies as Gaza itself has no harbour deep enough for larger cargo vessels.

According to earlier Pentagon statements, around 90 lorry loads per day will initially reach the Gaza Strip via the floating pier. At a later stage, up to 150 lorry loads per day are expected.

The US government in March announced the construction of the temporary harbour to bring food, water and medicine to the war zone in view of the humanitarian emergency in the Palestinian territory.