US military’s pier in Gaza has been reattached to beach after being dismantled for the second time

The US military’s temporary pier has been re-anchored to the Gaza coast, two US officials told CNN, several days after it was dismantled for a second time due to high seas and weather conditions.

The US military’s temporary pier has been reanchored to the Gaza coast, two US officials told CNN, several days after it was dismantled for a second time due to high seas and weather conditions. This is the second time the pier has had to be reattached to the beach: the first time after it was damaged in heavy seas, and now after it was detached in anticipation of severe weather that could have damaged it again. CNN previously reported that conversation around a maritime corridor to bring aid into Gaza began near the end of October, following Hamas’ invasion of Israel and the resulting offensive by Israeli forces in Gaza. The White House began exploring options including the feasibility of the temporary pier, which was deemed too risky at the time due to the weather conditions at that time of year and ongoing IDF operations. The idea was revisited in January and February as the need for humanitarian aid in Gaza became more dire. The pier was officially announced in March by President Joe Biden, who said in his State of the Union address that he was directing the military to build a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza. Within days, US Army watercraft had departed the US. The US began constructing the pier and causeway in April, and it began operating on May 17. Just a week later, however, operations were stalled due to weather; two days after that, high seas resulted in the pier breaking apart.