Mediterranean Becomes Stormy; U.S. Army Temporarily Moves Relief Dock from Gaza to Ashdod

On Friday, June 15, the U.S. Central Command announced that the Gaza relief dock, which has facilitated the transfer of over 3,500 tons of aid to the strip since its establishment, will be temporarily relocated to the shores of Ashdod, Israel. CENTCOM cited Mediterranean storms and the potential for further damage to the dock built in Gaza as reasons for this move, emphasizing that the temporary relocation aims to prevent structural damage due to the maritime conditions in the region. They added that 'once the maritime turbulence ends, the dock will quickly return to the shores of Gaza, where it will be re-established and humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza will resume.' Since May 17, over 3,500 tons of humanitarian aid have been delivered through the U.S. maritime corridor to be distributed among the people of Gaza. The temporary floating dock in Gaza, constructed under the orders of President Joe Biden and assembled by the U.S. Army on May 17, was moved to the Ashdod port in Israel on June 8 due to storm damage and was successfully re-established at the connection point in Gaza on June 7 after repairs. Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the United States has been tirelessly delivering humanitarian aid and addressing the basic needs of the civilian population in Gaza through various land, air, and sea routes in collaboration with its international partners. The emphasis on continued assistance to Gaza's civilians; the U.S. states: the relief dock is being rebuilt. The World Food Program has halted the distribution of humanitarian aid through the floating dock. The U.S. Central Command: the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza has resumed. The Israeli army is reinforcing its forces to secure the relief dock for Gaza. The temporary dock is being re-launched on the Gaza coast with the cooperation of American and Israeli forces. The U.S. emphasizes the continuation of assistance to Gaza's civilians; the Pentagon is rebuilding the relief dock. The U.S. military dock in Gaza was damaged; relief operations were halted.