US military sending 1,000 troops & floating pier for humanitarian aid in Gaza

In response to President Joe Biden’s call for urgent action during his State of the Union address, the Department of Defense (DOD) has unveiled plans for an emergency mission aimed at delivering critical humanitarian aid to the coast of Gaza.

The operation, announced by the Pentagon on March 8, 2024, will see the delivery of up to 2,000,000 meals per day to the embattled region.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in besieged Gaza face starvation after highly stringent and slow inspections of aid lorries by Israeli forces at land crossings, chiefly Rafah on the Egypt-Gaza border.

For months, aid deliveries have been a fraction of the strip’s food requirements.

The United States will deploy 1,000 troops off the coast of Gaza for the purpose of building a floating pier for humanitarian aid.

The US Army operates a fleet of about 134 ships – almost the size of the Spanish navy – under its Transportation Corps.

Biden announced the construction of the pier during his State of the Union address on Thursday.

“I’m directing the US military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters,” Biden said, adding, “No US boots will be on the ground.”

Under the command of U.S. Central Command, the mission will be executed by the 7th Transportation Brigade from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, along with other supporting forces.

Utilizing the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore capability (JLOTS), the DOD aims to commence delivery operations within approximately 60 days.

The JLOTS infrastructure comprises a floating pier and an approximately 1,800-foot-long causeway that will be anchored to the shore.

In the coming Gaza operation, the 7th Transportation Brigade will send “a floating pier, an approximately 1,800-foot-long causeway that will be attached to the shore, and a group of logistic support vessels and barges that will transport the aid from the pier to the causeway”.

The use of the US Army in a maritime aid operation represents a departure from more common US aid operations at sea, that utilize ships from the US Marine Corps, which have delivered aid in disaster zones from the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, to Japan, during the 2011 earthquake.

By contrast, the huge JLOTS logistical system has seldom been used in humanitarian operations, although the Pentagon said the most recent posting was Exercise Talisman Sabre, a large-scale joint defense exercise between Australia and the US.

Logistic support vessels and barges will transport aid from the pier to the causeway, facilitating efficient distribution to Gaza.

Major General Pat Ryder, Pentagon Press Secretary, elaborated on the planned mission during a media briefing, emphasizing its significance in supplementing existing aid efforts.

“This is part of a full-court press by the United States to not only focus on working on opening up and expanding routes via land, which are the optimal way to get aid into Gaza, but also by conducting air drops,” said Ryder. The deployment of over 100,000 meals via air drops by the U.S. and Jordan in the past week underscores the urgency of the situation.

Ryder assured that the mission would proceed without the presence of U.S. ground forces.

“The ability to do this without putting forces on ground is due to the fact that the causeway is essentially modular, built at sea, and then driven into the ground from offshore,” said Ryder.

Regarding security arrangements, Ryder noted ongoing collaboration with regional partners, including Israel, to safeguard personnel and aid distribution channels. The deployment timeline encompasses the transportation of JLOTS components from Virginia to the Middle East, ensuring a comprehensive operational setup.

Notably, the decision to utilize Cyprus as a potential loading site for aid onto commercial vessels underscores the logistical complexities involved in the mission. Ryder affirmed DOD’s commitment to working with partners to ensure the safe and secure delivery of aid to Gaza.

The deployment of JLOTS capabilities reflects DOD’s longstanding commitment to humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts globally. With recent deployments in support of exercises like Talisman Sabre, the DOD’s expertise in facilitating large-scale operations is poised to make a significant impact in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.