U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released the first photos of the pier under construction off the coast of Gaza which is intended to provide a means of getting aid to the war-torn region.
“Construction of the floating JLOTS pier in the Mediterranean is underway,” they wrote Monday:
Pier-building begins
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 29, 2024
Construction of the floating JLOTS pier in the Mediterranean is underway.
The pier will support @USAID and humanitarian partners to receive and deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. @USTRANSCOM and @USEUCOM support the movement of… pic.twitter.com/tC9J12wz4Z
JLOTS stands for “Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore.”
The pier was announced at Joe Biden’s March State of the Union speech and was met with mixed reactions.
See:
Even Dems Protest Biden’s SOTU in the Chamber, As He Caves With Move That May Endanger U.S.
Military Experts Warn of Extreme Dangers to American Troops Building Floating Pier off Gaza Coast
The progress is visible from space:
The progress can be seen from satellite images from the port where the Israel Defense Forces are constructing the port, with US Navy vessels nearby.
The Pentagon has said [the project] involves about 1,000 U.S. service members, mostly from the Army and Navy….
A satellite image from Sunday by Planet Labs PBC showed pieces of the floating pier in the Mediterranean Sea alongside the USNS Roy P. Benavidez.
However, according to Reuters, the cost of the project is now estimated to be $320 million, more than double the original price tag. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) blasted the expense and said the project puts our forces in danger:
‘The cost has not just risen. It has exploded,’ Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Democratic-led Senate Armed Services Committee, told Reuters, when asked about the costs.
‘How much will taxpayers be on the hook once – or if – the pier is finally constructed?’ Wicker asked.
‘For every day this mission continues, the price tag goes up and so does the level of risk for the 1,000 deployed troops within range of Hamas’ rockets.’
‘This dangerous effort with marginal benefit will now cost the American taxpayers at least $320 million to operate the pier for only 90 days.’
Wicker’s fears were already realized on April 24, as RedState’s Streiff reported:
Biden’s ‘Humanitarian Aid’ Pier Off Gaza Gets ‘Humanitarian’ Mortar Barrage From Hamas
When complete, the pier is expected to eventually handle up to 150 aid trucks daily:
The pier will initially handle 90 trucks a day, but that number could go up to 150 trucks daily when it is fully operational. The United Nations said last week that the daily average number of trucks entering Gaza during April was 200 and that there had been a peak on Monday of 316.
A senior Biden administration official said last week that humanitarian aid coming off the pier will need to pass through Israeli checkpoints on land.
That is despite the aid having already been inspected by Israel in Cyprus before being shipped to Gaza. Israel wants to prevent any aid getting to Hamas fighters that boosts their war effort.
Israel Defense Forces posted their own video of construction on the mainland:
We are committed to increasing the amount of humanitarian aid transferred daily into Gaza. The IDF is working closely with our partners at @Israel_MOD, @cogatonline and @CENTCOM, we are preparing to receive a temporary floating pier and to organize the space for receiving… pic.twitter.com/qt8aAWJXLI
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 27, 2024
The Department of Defense estimates that construction will be complete in early May.
