President Joe Biden is facing criticism as a temporary pier built by the U.S. to provide aid to the Gaza Strip has broken apart due to rough seas and weather, leading to its removal for repairs. The $320 million pier, which had only been operational for two weeks, is a crucial lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza who are suffering due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Pentagon announced that the pier will be sent to Ashdod in southern Israel for repairs, with hopes that it will be back up and running in just over a week.
The setback faced by the temporary pier has resulted in backlash on social media, with questions raised about why more efforts are not being made to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza by land. Journalists and experts have criticized the need for a pier in the first place, pointing out that aid should be able to reach Gaza through land crossings unless Israel is withholding humanitarian assistance. The closure of the pier for repairs is seen as a blow to the Biden administration’s initiative to provide aid to Gaza and prevent famine in the region.
The removal of the pier for repairs is the latest setback in the Biden administration’s efforts to deliver aid to Gaza. Over the past two weeks, three U.S. service members have been injured, and four vessels have been beached due to heavy seas around the pier. While more than 500 metric tons of aid have been offloaded at the pier, deliveries were halted for two days last week after a Palestinian man was shot and killed during a crowds rushing aid trucks. The United Nations estimates that a quarter of the population in the Gaza Strip is on the brink of famine, emphasizing the urgency of providing assistance to those in need.
President Biden announced the pier in March as a means to provide seaborne access for aid to prevent famine in northern Gaza. However, U.S. officials have acknowledged that the pier alone is not sufficient to meet the growing needs of the starving population in Gaza. The project involved about 1,000 U.S. service members, primarily from the Army and Navy, with a cost of $320 million that has raised concerns about the effectiveness and benefit of the initiative. Republican Senator Roger Wicker has criticized the project’s cost, referring to it as a “dangerous effort with marginal benefit.”
Overall, the temporary pier constructed by the U.S. Army to deliver aid to Gaza has faced setbacks due to rough seas and efforts are being made to repair it and resume operations. The Biden administration’s initiative to provide aid to the Gaza Strip is under scrutiny, with questions raised about the effectiveness of the pier and the overall cost of the project. Despite challenges and criticisms, the urgent need to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains a priority, with efforts continuing to provide assistance to those in need in the region.
