Pentagon ceases troubled pier program after 20 days of ferrying aid in Gaza

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s temporary pier operation in Gaza has ended, and humanitarian aid shipments will be shifted to a port in Israel, military officials said Wednesday.

The $230 million pier had been beset by problems from the outset of its operation in May. The first trucks to leave the secured beachhead in Gaza were hijacked by mobs. High seas tore it from shore, beached Army vessels supporting it and forced its relocation to Israel for repairs.

Three of the 1,000 troops assigned to build and operate the pier sustained injuries at sea in May. Two returned to duty quickly, while the third remains hospitalized in San Antonio. The pier conveyed aid for 20 days since May 17.

Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander, Central Command, declared the operation a success, saying that it had delivered 19.4 million pounds of humanitarian aid to Gaza amid Israel’s war with Hamas. The amount of aid delivered by the pier was enough to feed 500,000 Gazans for a month.

“The pier has done exactly what we intended it to do,” Cooper said, adding that its mission was complete. Its final cost will likely be under $230 million, he said.

Ships carrying aid from Cyprus will now deliver those supplies to the Israeli port of Ashdod. Trucks will then ferry the materials to Gaza.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pentagon puts an end to troubled pier program in Gaza