United States plans to remove Gaza aid pier

June 29, 2024

announced on Friday that it will remove its in the  due to bad weather. Despite this, stockpiles of food remain in a nearby storage yard. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said in a press conference that "the safety of our service members is a top priority, and temporarily relocating the pier will prevent potential structural damage that could be caused by the heightened sea state."

On the same day, two US officials said that the (UN) began delivering food aid again to Gaza for the first time since it halted such aid in June 9, citing potential danger to workers' safety and neutrality.

Built as a temporary way of delivering food aid into Gaza amid the and, the pier was announced by US President Joe Biden in his  in March, and so far has cost US$230 million. The Biden administration has called the project a "great success," although it has drawn criticism for allegedly being a "publicity stunt."

The next day, UN workers started unloading aid stuck on the pier.

The pier's removal may be permanent unless existing stockpiles begin flowing into the region again, although the final decision as to whether the pier will resume operation has not been made.