US Army Ships Set Sail on Mission to Construct Offshore Dock Near Gaza Coast

WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, four US Army vessels, laden with tons of materials and steel segments for pier construction, embarked from Virginia towards the Gaza Strip. This initiative is a strategic move by the United States to bolster the delivery of food and other essential supplies to Palestinians enduring extreme hardship amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Departure from Virginia

The fleet, setting out from the docks at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, voyaged through the James River into the Atlantic Ocean. The journey is expected to take approximately one month to reach the Mediterranean Sea. There, at an undisclosed location off the coast of Gaza, the troops will begin the assembly and operation of a floating pier designed to facilitate aid reception.

Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis

Since Hamas militants struck Israel on October 7, the Israeli military response has heavily impacted the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 30,000 Palestinian casualties, according to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, and leading to a severe humanitarian disaster. With nearly 2.3 million residents struggling for food, the United Nations has highlighted the urgency of the situation. However, delivering humanitarian aid has been challenging due to ongoing attacks and difficulties in coordination with Israeli military forces, which have led to roadblocks and delays in aid delivery because of inspections.

Constructing the Modular Causeway System

The Pentagon's latest directive calls for US military forces to erect what is termed a modular causeway system. At sea, they will put together a sizable floating platform where vessels can unload containers of aid. Subsequently, this assistance will be transferred to a motorized chain of steel dock segments reaching the shore.

The envisioned dock is expected to measure up to 550 meters (1,800 feet) in length, with two lanes, and the Pentagon has projected it could handle the transfer of over 2 million meals per day to Gaza's inhabitants. Officials have not disclosed who will be in charge of unloading the containers and transporting the aid onshore. President Joe Biden has stated there will be no US soldiers on the ground in Gaza.

US Army Vessels and Personnel

As families and senior army commanders looked on, around 70 soldiers from the 7th Transportation Brigade boarded the four US Army vessels: the USAV Wilson Wharf, USAV Matamoros and USAV Monterrey, landing crafts, and the USAV SP4 James A. Loux, a larger logistic support ship. Army Colonel Sam Miller, the brigade commander, reported that approximately 500 of his soldiers are committed to this mission. In total, around 1,000 US soldiers are expected to participate in the effort, as stated by Pentagon officials.

USArmy, Gaza, HumanitarianAid