US dispatches 1st ship with equipment to build temporary pier to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza

On Friday, US President Joe Biden told Congress that he had ordered the Pentagon to build a temporary port to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza without the US army present on sight.

Later, a Pentagon spokesperson noted that the project involves the creation of a floating pier, where, presumably from Cyprus, cargo will be imported for subsequent delivery to the shore by small vessels.

“On March 9, 2024, US Army Vessel (USAV) General Frank S. Besson (LSV-1) … departed Joint Base Langley-Eustis en route to the Eastern Mediterranean less than 36 hours after President Biden announced the US would provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza by sea,” the command said on X.

Besson, a logistics support vessel, is carrying the first equipment to establish a temporary pier to deliver vital humanitarian supplies,” it added.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 30,960 people have been killed and 72,500 others wounded since October 7, when the IDF began its attacks on the Palestinian enclave in response to the Hamas surprise attack on Israel, in which more than 1,100 people lost their lives and 240 others were taken hostage.

Earlier this week, the Washington Post daily reported that US officials had told the Congress in a classified briefing that Washington had approved and delivered on more than 100 arms sales to Israel since October 7. The shipments included thousands of precision-guided munitions, small-diameter bombs and other weapons, the paper added.