Israel and US military advance construction of floating dock in Gaza

The Israeli Army announced on Saturday that they are nearing completion of a floating dock on the Gaza coast, which will enable the reception of humanitarian aid starting from May. This project has received support from the North American military. The dock will connect the port with Gaza, and goods will be inspected in Cyprus before being distributed in the Palestinian enclave by international organizations. The spokesperson for the Israeli military, Nadav Shoshani, stated that extensive electrical work is being carried out to support the installation and accommodate the arrival of aid.

Shoshani emphasized that the construction of the floating dock is a support effort to increase aid delivery to the devastated north of Gaza, which has seen over 34,300 deaths and more than 200 days of war. The amount of merchandise transported through the dock would be equivalent to 90 to 150 trucks per day. He also reiterated Israel’s commitment to facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid, addressing concerns raised by international organizations, including the UN, regarding the use of hunger as a weapon of war by Israel.

The Israeli Navy will be responsible for the security of the project, with a brigade of reservists securing the area from land. Shoshani also highlighted that since the war in Gaza began in October, around 25,000 trucks have entered the enclave, which is significantly lower than the pre-conflict average of about 500 trucks per day. However, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Phillipe Lazzarini, recently stated that the traffic of trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza has improved in April, with a peak of 360 units on the 22nd of the month. He also noted that there had been a decrease in assaults on aid trucks by desperate individuals trying to access the cargo.