Israeli Army Reinforces Forces to Secure Humanitarian Aid Dock for Gaza

The Israeli army announced on Saturday, June 9, that it is reinforcing its forces to secure the floating dock built by the United States on the shores of the Gaza Strip so that humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza can resume in the coming days. Last month, the United States halted the flow of aid through the maritime route to Gaza due to damage to part of the temporary dock and separated the dock from its connection point on the coastline. The dock was temporarily transferred to the port of Ashdod in Israel and was successfully reconnected to the connection point in Gaza after repairs on Friday, June 9. According to Admiral Brad Cooper, the senior commander of the U.S. Navy, American forces, with the help of Israeli engineers, reconnected the temporary dock to the shore. He described the delivery of aid to Gaza from this dock as 'very effective,' adding, 'During the one-week operational period, over 1,000 tons of aid were delivered to the people of Gaza through this temporary dock.' Cooper also noted the 'exceptional cooperation' between American and Israeli forces to ensure the safe installation of the dock to the Gaza shore, stating, 'The Israelis fully support U.S. efforts to increase the volume of aid to Gaza, while the international community continues to support us.' This effort is led by the U.S. Agency for International Development as part of broader U.S. and international partners' efforts to increase aid to Palestinians. This temporary floating dock was constructed under the directive of President Joe Biden and assembled by the U.S. military on the shores of Gaza, which lacks port infrastructure. According to a spokesperson for the World Food Program, during the two weeks of the dock's operation prior to the damage, over 137 trucks transported approximately 900 tons of aid to Gaza through it. Israel began its operations in Gaza following Hamas's attack on October 7 of last year, in which Iranian-backed militants killed about 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages. Many countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, and Israel, have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. The reactivation of the temporary dock on the Gaza shore in cooperation with American and Israeli forces emphasizes the U.S. commitment to continuing aid to Gaza's civilians; the Pentagon is in the process of rebuilding the aid dock. The U.S. military dock in Gaza was damaged; aid operations were halted. The United Nations resumed aid to Gaza through the American dock. The White House: More humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza are underway.