US Completes 2 Floating Piers For Gaza Aid, Yet To Be Deployed

The Construction of the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, system on the Mediterranean Sea was completed on Tuesday, according to the Pentagon.

ISRAEL/GAZA - The United States has finished construction of the two floating piers that will be used to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Construction of the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, system on the Mediterranean Sea was completed on Tuesday, according to the Pentagon.

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After Weather Delays, Construction Of The 2 Floating Piers Completed

On May 7th, the Pentagon announced during a briefing that the Construction of the Trident Pier section of the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, system had been completed, adding that although completed, it had not been deployed due to the weather conditions and sea swells in the region.

The Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore capability, or JLOTS, are being established in support of humanitarian assistance efforts with USAID and other partners.

The Pentagon said on May 7th, "Right now, the two piers are floating on the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel near the Port of Ashdod — about 18 miles north of Gaza. Weather conditions, Singh said, prevent moving either of them to their final location". 

Sabrina Singh said during the briefing, "The U.S. military has completed the offshore construction of the Trident pier section, or 'the causeway,' which is the component that will eventually be anchored to the Gaza shore". 

"As I mentioned last week, construction of the floating pier section has also been completed. So as of today, the construction of the two portions of the JLOTS — the floating pier and the Trident pier — are complete and awaiting final movement offshore," she added.

"Late last week, Centcom temporarily paused moving the floating pier and Trident pier toward the vicinity of Gaza due to sea state considerations," she said, adding, "Today there are still forecasted high winds and high sea swells, which are causing unsafe conditions for the JLOTS components to be moved."

She added during that time that the cargo vessel MV Sagamore was at a Cyprus port being loaded up with humanitarian aid supplies that would be bound for Gaza after it was finished being loaded.

"The Sagamore is a cargo vessel that will use the JLOTS system and will make trips between Cyprus and the offshore floating pier as USAID and other partners collect aid from around the world," she said at the time.

She said that the Sagamore, which is a commercial ship registered in the U.S. would be loaded with humanitarian aid in Cyprus, and then travel from there to a temporary floating pier a few miles off of Gaza's coast where it would be unloaded onto trucks aboard Army-owned landing craft utility ships (LCUs) and logistic support vessels (LSVs).

After that was finished, she said that Army vessels would then travel toward Gaza and meet up with the Trident pier where trucks onboard the landing craft utility ships and logistic support vessels would drive onto the pier, and onto Gaza's shore where the supplies could then be staged for delivery within Gaza.

On May 9th, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder reiterated what was said during the May 7th briefing that, "One floating pier will be deployed several miles offshore outside Gaza, while the other, called the Trident pier, or "causeway," will be pushed onto and attached to the Gazan shore. Together they will be used to move humanitarian aid into Gaza". 

The statement added, "Both of the floating piers, along with the MV Roy P. Benavidez — a large, medium-speed, roll-on, roll-off ship — are off the coast of Israel near the Port of Ashdod, about 18 miles north of Gaza. Unfavorable sea conditions prevent movement of the piers to their final location". 

"In the meantime, the MV Sagamore — a commercial cargo ship — has been loaded with humanitarian aid in Cyprus and has made its way to Ashdod.

Instead of waiting for the piers to be deployed, humanitarian aid on the Sagamore will be moved to the Benavidez so that the Sagamore can go back to Cyprus to get more aid supplies."

He then said, "In this period of time that we have before the pier becomes operational, we're essentially using that time to get ahead". 

"Since the Sagamore has been loaded with humanitarian assistance, by transloading that on to the Benavidez, the Benavidez is essentially in position to immediately start loading that onto the floating pier for subsequent shipment to the causeway and delivery to the shore." 

The Benavidez will remain near the Gaza Strip after the humanitarian mission begins so that the Sagamore can make additional trips to Cyprus to pick up more aid to be transported to Gaza.

After the two floating piers are deployed near Gaza, "ships loaded with humanitarian aid will dock at the floating pier off the coast of Gaza and have their cargo unloaded onto trucks that are onboard Army-owned landing craft utility ships, or LCUs, and logistic support vessels, or LSVs". 

After that, the Army vessels will navigate toward the Gaza Strip and meet up with the Trident Pier where trucks aboard the LCUs and LSVs will drive onto the pier, onto the Gaza shore and stage deliveries of humanitarian aid inside Gaza.

Ryder added that "Non-U.S. civilian contractors will be responsible for driving those vehicles".

"While I'm not going to provide a specific date, we expect these temporary piers to be put into position in the very near future, pending suitable security and weather conditions," he said during the May 9th briefing."

"In the meantime, the motor vessel Sagamore departed Cyprus today loaded with humanitarian aid for transloading onto the motor vessel Roy P. Benavidez, which is currently off the coast of Ashdod, to begin the process of staging humanitarian aid," he added.

"Once the floating pier and the Trident pier are in position, this will allow for the Benavidez to transload — load the aid to logistics support vessels and delivery while the motor vessel Sagamore is back in Cyprus to enable loading of additional aid."

"The United States is joining an international community-backed effort led by USAID, with support from the United Nations, the World Food Program, the Republic of Cyprus, other partner nations, and the IDF to expand the delivery of humanitarian assistance via a maritime corridor to the people of Gaza."

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