Pier a symbol of US' dual approach to Mideast conflict

A pier constructed by the Pentagon to deliver food to Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas conflict is a window on the United States' dual approach to the conflict — providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians and lethal weaponry to Israel.

Broken apart by strong winds and heavy seas just over a week after it became operational, the project faces criticism that it has not lived up to its initial billing or its $320 million price tag.

Now, the pier will need to be repaired. It will be pulled from the beach and sent to the southern Israeli city of Ashdod, where the US Central Command will repair it, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters on Tuesday.

She said the repairs would take "at least over a week", and then the pier would need to be anchored back into the beach in Gaza.

On X, army veteran Graham Allen posted a photo of the mostly submerged pier and wrote: "Here it is now, pretty much submerged not doing anything. This is what your taxpayer money goes to!!!!"

The setback is the latest for the pier, which just began operations in mid-May and has already seen three US service members injured and four vessels aground due to heavy seas. Two of the service members suffered minor injuries, but the third is still in critical condition, Singh said.

About 1,000 US sailors and soldiers have been engaged in the pier mission, the Pentagon said.

It also said on May 21 that it believed that none of the reported 569 metric tons of food made it to the Palestinians.

A deepening Israeli offensive in the southern city of Rafah also has made it impossible for shipments to get through the crossing there, which is a key source of fuel and food into Gaza.

'Damning statement'

US investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill posted on X on May 16 that the fact that the US "funds, arms, politically bolsters & shields (Israel) from international & US law, won't allow aid into Gaza by land is a damning statement about the Biden administration".

Ishaan Tharoor, a columnist for The Washington Post, wrote on X on May 16: "No major humanitarian organization has asked for this pier, and most see it as a costly distraction that will do little to make a dent in meeting Gaza's overwhelming humanitarian needs. For that, you need a cease-fire and open border crossings and less military obstruction."

Many posts on social media have called the pier an attempt to sway voters in Michigan, which has a large Muslim population. The swing state could be crucial to the November presidential election.

On May 15, President Joe Biden's administration announced that it planned to move forward on a new $1 billion sale of arms and ammunition to Israel, The Associated Press reported citing three congressional aides.

Agencies contributed to this story.