$320m US pier in Gaza breaks apart days after supplies began arriving in war-torn region

The temporary pier built off the coast of Gaza by the US military to transport aid into the war-torn region has broken apart, satellite images have revealed.

Heavy seas damaged the pier on Tuesday and sections need “rebuilding and repairing,” a Pentagon spokesperson said. The pier will be moved to Ashdod, a port in Israel, where repairs will take at least a week.

The damage was first reported byNBC News. The pier consists of a narrow causeway to carry aid to Gaza and a broader area to place supplies transported by ship. Officials said it disconnected on Sunday.

The broader parking area must be connected to the causeway before the pier can be used.

The pier cost $320m and its usage started on 17 May but heavy seas forced a stoppage just a week later. The pier broke apart two days later.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday that a “great deal of humanitarian assistance” has been “flowing” into Gaza.

“There has been… a great deal that has been delivered into the north of Gaza over the past few weeks, something that happened because of the United States’ intervention,” he said. However, he said getting aid into southern Gaza has been “a real challenge”.

“There are a number of things that have made that a challenge, one being the closing of Rafah gate, two being the military… operations that are taking place there that make it tough,” he said.

The temporary pier is located just north of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza.

The pier was damaged three days after heavy seas led to two US Army vessels having to beach in Israel, US Central Command said. Another two vessels anchored close to the pier broke free of their moorings and beached in Gaza.

The temporary pier is known as the Joint Logistics Over