US military deploys floating pier off Gaza coast pier breaks apart within weeks

The US military completes deployment of a Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) temporary floating pier off the coast of Gaza, a project Biden announced during his State of the Union address in March 2024 to surge humanitarian aid into the enclave. The $320 million pier is the Pentagon's attempt to bypass Israeli-restricted land crossings. Within days of operation, the pier sustains damage from heavy seas and is towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod for repairs. It resumes operations briefly but is ultimately decommissioned in July 2024 after delivering a fraction of the humanitarian aid originally projected. Critics call it a costly failure that underscored US inability to pressure Israel to open land crossings.