US in Process of Preparing Forces to Deploy in Gaza Pier Mission - Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States is in the process of preparing to deploy forces for the Gaza pier mission to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave, Defense Department spokesperson Pat Ryder said on Friday.

"The department is moving quickly to deploy its joint logistics, over-the-shore capability to provide the expeditionary pier to enable the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza," Ryder said during a press briefing. "We are in the process of identifying, sourcing, and, in some cases, preparing forces to deploy [to Gaza]."

The Pentagon anticipates it will require more than 1,000 US military personnel to build a temporary port in Gaza.

“We anticipate that it’ll take over 1,000 US forces to participate in building this capability,” Ryder highlighted.

The effort is expected to take several weeks, likely up to 60 days, Ryder said.

The Gaza pier mission is said to involve presence of US military personnel being on military vessels offshore, and not on the shore in Gaza, the Defense Department claimed.

“[The Pentagon] maintains the ability to provide unique capabilities from offshore without a US military presence within Gaza,” Ryder said. “The concept that is being planned involves the presence of US military personnel on military vessels offshore, but does not require US military personnel to go ashore.”

According to the spokesperson, the mission will involve an offshore floating pier that will be able to receive commercial vessels with aid that will be offloaded onto the floating pier and then transloaded onto Navy support vessels. Those vessels will then take it to the floating causeway, which is approximately 1,800 feet or 500 meters long, and then transported onto land and then distributed into Gaza.

“Among other places, Cyprus has been highlighted as a place where aid can be loaded onto ships, and then taken to the floating pier, transloaded onto these logistics support vessels, transported over to the causeway and then again transported into Gaza,” Ryder added.

Meanwhile, the US has reportedly made more than 100 "quiet" weapons sales to Israel, including thousands of bombs, since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas. Despite half-baked calls from the administration for Israel to spare civilian lives, the US has continued to restock their supply of weapons, helping to create one of the most intense bombing campaigns in military history.

On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 31,000 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.