US is disconnecting troubled Gaza humanitarian pier for a third time in anticipation of heavy seas, officials say

The US is once again dismantling the troubled humanitarian pier to Gaza because of anticipated heavy seas and bad weather, two US officials said, marking the third time it will halt operations since it began working six weeks ago.

The US is once again dismantling the troubled humanitarian pier to Gaza because of anticipated heavy seas and bad weather, two US officials said, marking the third time it will halt operations since it began working six weeks ago. The pier was constructed to bring much needed aid to civilians suffering as the Israel-Hamas war continues, especially as land crossings frequently closed. It will be towed back to the Ashdod port in southern Israel on Friday until conditions are calmer. It’s unclear how long the pier will be disconnected, the officials said. The latest setback comes two days after GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, chair of the House Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to senior Biden administration officials in which he said the temporary pier “has been riddled with setbacks, sidelined more often than operational, and can only be classified as a gross waste of taxpayer dollars.” Earlier this month, GOP Sen. Roger Wicker, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee,was even more blunt. “This needs to end immediately,” he said in a statement. This is the second time the pier has been disconnected intentionally as a precautionary measure to avoid damage in bad weather. One week after the pier began operations in May, it was damaged in heavy seas, forcing the military to tow it to Ashdod for repairs.