The floating pier has been anchored to a beach in Gaza by US Central Command to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid into the region. Trucks are expected to begin moving aid ashore in the coming days with the assistance of the United Nations. The UK has also announced that its first shipment of humanitarian aid is on its way from Cyprus to Gaza, with the aid to be distributed within Gaza once feasible.
The Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) system consists of a floating pier and causeway to facilitate the offloading and distribution of aid in Gaza. The temporary pier is intended to supplement aid coming through land crossings into Gaza, with a goal of allowing up to 150 truckloads of aid to enter Gaza per day. Vice Adm. Brad Cooper emphasized that the pier is not intended to replace land routes and that there will be no US military presence on the ground in Gaza.
There are already hundreds of tons of aid ready for delivery, with more aid in the pipeline from multiple nations. The US has contracted drivers for the pier, but details about transport from the causeway to the distribution point are still being finalized. Security measures are in place to allow the JLOTS operations to begin when the pier is ready, with the project estimated to cost $320 million for the first three months of operation.
Cooper addressed security concerns and stated that the US and Israel have developed a plan to protect all personnel working on the project in the area. While there is acknowledged risk, the JLOTS system and causeway are not considered to be exposed to additional risks beyond those already present in Gaza. The aid distribution process involves screening and preparation in Cyprus, transportation to a floating platform off the Gaza coast, transfer to smaller vessels for final delivery to the temporary pier, and distribution within Gaza by the UN and World Food Program.
