US military declares end to Gaza pier aid mission

What happened

Pentagon officials on Wednesday announced the completion of the "maritime surge mission" that saw a massive floating pier constructed off the Gaza coastline to bring sea-borne aid to the beleaguered Palestinian territory.

Who said what

The pier, estimated to cost approximately $230 million, "has done exactly what we intended it to do," Vice Adm. Brad Cooper said to reporters, adding that the mission was "complete" so "there's no more need" to use it. The pier had only been fully operational for some 20 days since being installed in May, and had been "bedeviled by bad weather and mechanical malfunctions," CBS News said. The whole mission has been "extraordinary, but troubled," said Reuters. Although the pier enabled the delivery of nearly 20 million pounds of much-needed supplies, the aid groups "expected to distribute the food once it reached land were reluctant to do so, citing persistent fears for their workers' safety," The Washington Post said. 

What next?

Aid intended for the war-torn Palestinian territory is now expected to be shipped from Cyprus to the Israeli port city of Ashdod, before being transferred to trucks and driven to Gaza. 

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