The U.S. military-built pier in Gaza is up and running again after being detached for a second time last week because of rough seas, according to Cyprus officials Thursday. The pier, used to deliver humanitarian aid such as supplies from the U.N.’s World Food Program into Gaza, has faced a number of setbacks since it was erected. It was operational for only about a week when it was blown apart by high winds in May and then removed again earlier this month.
Here’s the latest:
Quick Read
- US-built pier in Gaza operational again: The U.S. military-built pier in Gaza, used to deliver humanitarian aid, is up and running after being detached last week due to rough seas, according to Cyprus officials.
- Setbacks faced: The pier has faced multiple setbacks, including being blown apart by high winds in May and detached earlier this month for safety reasons.
- Aid deliveries resumed: Cyprus has screened and loaded around 10,000 tons of aid onto boats for Gaza over the past 40 days as part of a maritime corridor.
- Significance: The pier is crucial for delivering humanitarian aid, such as supplies from the U.N.’s World Food Program, to Gaza amidst the ongoing conflict.
- Ongoing conflict: The war between Israel and Hamas has entered its ninth month, with over 37,100 people killed in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
- War’s impact: The conflict has severely disrupted the flow of food, medicine, and other supplies to Palestinians in Gaza, who are facing widespread hunger.
The Associated Press has the story:
US-built pier in Gaza up and running again after setbacks
Newslooks- NICOSIA, Cyprus — (AP)
The U.S. military-built pier in Gaza is up and running again after being detached for a second time last week because of rough seas, according to Cyprus officials Thursday.
The pier, used to deliver humanitarian aid such as supplies from the U.N.’s World Food Program into Gaza, has faced a number of setbacks since it was erected. It was operational for only about a week when it was blown apart by high winds in May and then removed again earlier this month.
The U.S. military detached the causeway last week to prevent it from breaking apart again, as it did late last month when it was hit by bad weather.
Theodoris Gotsis, a spokesperson for the Cyprus Foreign Ministry, said the pier and the causeway in Gaza were both functioning. He said over the past 40 days, Cyprus has screened and loaded onto boats some 10,000 tons of aid for Gaza.
Cyprus is the starting point of a maritime corridor to Gaza under which aid is shipped to the U.S.-built pier and causeway.
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, now in its ninth month, has killed more than 37,100 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count. The war has largely cut off the flow of food, medicine and other supplies to Palestinians who are facing widespread hunger.
Israel launched the war after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducted about 250.
Cyprus’ Foreign Ministry said Thursday the U.S. military-built pier in Gaza is up and running again after being detached for a second time last week because of rough seas.
Cyprus plays a key role in the pier because a security and inspection station it built screens the international aid destined for Gaza. There was no immediate confirmation from the U.S..
The pier, used to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza, has faced a number of setbacks since it was erected. It was operational for only about a week when it was blown apart by high winds in May and then removed again earlier this month.
The U.N.’s World Food Program, one of the main aid agencies to make use of the pier, had paused its distribution of aid coming from it earlier this month over security concerns. WFP could not immediately be reached for comment on whether it was resuming distribution.
Currently:
— The fate of the latest cease-fire proposal hinges on Netanyahu and Hamas’ leader in Gaza.
— A rare public rift appears between Israel’s political and military leadership over how the war in Gaza is being conducted.
— The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group warns archenemy Israel against wider war.
— Hundreds died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia amid intense heat, officials say.
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Gaza at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
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