The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday the completion of a floating maritime pier on the shores of the Gaza Strip.
According to a CENTCOM statement released on Thursday morning, around 7:40 AM Gaza time (4:40 GMT), the personnel supporting the humanitarian mission constructed the temporary pier to facilitate the delivery of additional humanitarian aid to needy Palestinian civilians.
The statement further detailed that trucks carrying humanitarian aid are expected to start moving towards the pier in the coming days.
The United Nations (UN) is set to receive the aid and coordinate its distribution within Gaza, as reported by Anadolu Agency.
CENTCOM also clarified that no U.S. forces have entered Gaza as part of this operation.
The Pentagon spokesperson, Pat Ryder, announced in a press conference broadcasted by Cairo News Channel that the US will begin delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza through a maritime route in the coming days.
The move comes as part of a broader effort to address the urgent needs of the Gaza Strip.
Ryder revealed that the construction of a temporary seaport designated for delivering aid to Gaza has reached a completion cost of $320 million.
The seaport is expected to operate for three months. “The temporary seaport and maritime passage are now appropriately positioned,” Ryder stated.
In the same vein, the UK announced that its first shipment of humanitarian aid, amounting to approximately 100 tons, has departed from Cyprus and is expected to reach Gaza via a newly constructed floating port by the US military, set to become operational soon.
In a statement, the UK Foreign Office said the British aid had left Cyprus in the first delivery to the new floating port in Gaza.
This initiative follows an announcement by the Pentagon on Tuesday, stating that the floating port, assembled to facilitate the delivery of aid to the region, will be ready “in the coming days.”
The shipment includes nearly 100 tons of aid, notably “8,400 units” of temporary shelters made from plastic sheeting.
