Construction began in the Mediterranean Sea Thursday off the coast of Gaza to assemble the pier.
Once assembled, the pier will facilitate 90 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid a day into Gaza, with up to 150 when fully operational.
A senior U.S. military official said around 1,000 U.S. Army and Navy soldiers and sailors will work on the mission and live out of a British ship called the Cardigan Bay.
The mission will not involve U.S. boots on the ground, and the military is coordinating closely with Israel to ensure safety and security.
“We believe we have developed a comprehensive integrated security plan with the Israeli Defense Forces to address force protection of American troops,” the official said.
Another U.S. administration official said the pier comes amid a deepening humanitarian crisis.
“This is a humanitarian initiative with a humanitarian purpose,” the official said.
Aid will be coming in off pallets from the island of Cyprus through the transport of commercial ships, and arrive at a large floating dock miles from Gaza.
Small Army boats will transport trucks with cargo to a pier anchored to Gaza’s shore and drive into the strip and a secure area.
The United Nations has warned of a coming famine in northern Gaza unless the humanitarian crisis is addressed.
At the urging of the White House, Israel has opened another humanitarian aid crossing into Gaza, but the situation remains dire.
President Biden first announced the pier in March and initial estimates were slated to be completed by the end of April or early May.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
