“As of today, the US military has completed offshore construction of the Trident Pier section, or causeway, which is the component that will eventually be anchored to the coast of Gaza,” Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters. .
The project, known as the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) capability, consists of two parts: a floating dock where ships can unload aid (completed last week) and a section of causeway intended to connect to the coast of Gaza, in which trucks they can transport the aid that the ships leave on dry land.
The two parts of the JLOTS “are complete and awaiting final transfer to the high seas,” Singh continued, adding that bad weather has prevented the US military from doing so.
“Strong winds and heavy seas are still forecast today, which are causing unsafe conditions for the transfer of JLOTS components, so sections of the dock and the military vessels involved in its construction are still positioned in the port of Ashdod.”
The end of JLOTS in the Mediterranean Sea comes as humanitarian conditions in Gaza worsen by the day, with the United Nations and humanitarian organizations in the territory warning that the region has fallen into famine due to a severe lack of access to food and medical supplies. .
The situation is expected to become more serious when the Israeli army seizes the Rafah crossing on Tuesday, the only entry point for humanitarian aid between Gaza and Egypt.
Even though the dock is not in position, Singh said the United States is loading aid onto the ship MV Sagamore, currently in Cyprus but intended to be the first ship to transport aid from there to the dock.
“The Sagamore is a cargo ship that will use the JLOTS system and make voyages between Cyprus and the offshore floating dock while USAID and other partners raise aid from around the world,” Singh said.
He added that defense officials hope to have JLOTS in position “by the end of this week.”