The U.S. Army boats involved in the Gaza humanitarian pier mission will be hauled back to the U.S. by civilian contractors due to safety concerns and cost-effectiveness. The boats, which include the Monterrey, Matamoros, and Wilson Wharf, are flat-bottomed with low sides, making them unsafe for travel in rough waters. The timeline for the return of the boats remains unclear, but they are currently docked in Souda Bay in Crete, Greece. Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh has stated that around 6 million pounds of aid remains on the MV Cape Trinity, which is en route to Ashdod.
President Biden outlined his plan for the humanitarian operation in Gaza during his State of the Union speech in March. The operation aimed to establish a temporary pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip to increase the delivery of humanitarian aid to the territory, where millions remain displaced. However, the $230 million operation faced difficulties, with distribution issues being a key factor in its shutdown. The completion of the piers, one located several miles offshore and the other acting as a causeway onto the Gazan shore, was announced by the Pentagon around May 9, but deployment faced challenges in the following week.
The decision to shut down the humanitarian pier in Gaza was met with criticism from many congressional members, who questioned the efficacy and cost of the operation. Moving forward, humanitarian aid will be delivered through a maritime corridor in Cyprus to Ashdod before reaching Gaza, in a fully civilian-operated operation. The U.S. military quietly began the shutdown of the humanitarian pier last month, and the boats involved in the mission will be redeployed to the U.S. by civilian contractors. The move to contract Float-On/Float-Off vessels is seen as a safer and more cost-effective option, especially as hurricane season approaches.
The details of the contract for hauling the U.S. Army boats back to the U.S. have not been disclosed, and it remains unclear when the process will be completed. The operation to establish a temporary pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip was intended to increase the delivery of humanitarian aid to the territory, where many remain displaced due to ongoing conflict. President Biden’s plan for the humanitarian operation was outlined during his State of the Union speech, but the $230 million operation faced challenges and was ultimately closed down due to difficulties in distribution. The decision to shift to a maritime corridor for aid delivery signals a shift towards a fully civilian-run operation in Gaza.
