On Friday, the US Central Command (Centcom) decided to temporarily move the floating dock from its location on the coast of the Gaza Strip to the Israeli port of Ashdod again due to expectations of high sea waves.
Centcom said in a statement, “ (Friday), due to expectations of high sea waves, the floating dock will be removed from its moored location in Gaza and moved again to Ashdod,” adding that “US Central Command considers the safety of our service members a top priority.”
The US Central Command explained that moving the pier temporarily will prevent structural damage caused by rising sea waves, noting that it "did not take the decision to move the pier temporarily lightly, but it is necessary to ensure that the temporary pier continues to provide aid to Gaza in the future."
On June 7, Centcom announced the re-establishment of the floating pier off the coast of Gaza designated for transporting limited amounts of aid to the besieged Strip, and said in a statement: “We succeeded in re-establishing the temporary pier in Gaza, which collapsed amid the rough waves late last month.” .
On May 17, Centcom announced the opening of the pier on the coast of Gaza, but it quickly collapsed after a week of operation due to the waves, and parts of it separated and reached the shore of the city of Ashdod.
Palestinian circles say that the purpose of establishing the floating dock is to “serve the hidden political interests” of Israel and the United States, contrary to what is being portrayed by Washington and Tel Aviv that it is a “humanitarian step.”
It might spark debate over underlying motives.
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